Latest news with #toxicworkplace
Forbes
2 hours ago
- Business
- Forbes
How To Know You're Working For A Narcissist—And What To Do About It
Selfish man puts a crown on his head, he stands on a man in the form of a bridge over a precipice. ... More Concept of selfishness Great leaders inspire—narcissists control. If your boss demands loyalty, constant praise, and complete obedience—but offers none in return—you're not just in a toxic job. You're in psychological danger. And it's more common than you think. UC Berkeley's Professor Jennifer Chatman describes narcissistic leaders as 'grandiose, dishonest, blame-throwing, and credit-stealing.' They have a unique toxic ability to destroy trust, stifle collaboration and drive top performers out the door. Five Red Flags You're Working For A Narcissist It's all about them You've seen it before. A narcissistic boss will hijack meetings, embellish their importance, and rewrite the narrative by claiming the great ideas are theirs, often at your expense. Here are the tell-tale signs you should pay attention to: Praise is a trap They'll love-bomb you early, then pull back. This 'idealize-devalue-discard' cycle leaves you chasing approval you'll never consistently get. Feedback is dangerous Refusal to accept feedback is the top sign of a bad boss. Narcissistic leaders don't just ignore feedback—they retaliate against it. They divide to control They have favourites, and everyone knows it. They're shy about showing preference and very quick to punish when the mood changes. You will see the ongoing shifting of alliances, and they are masterful at pitting colleagues against one another. Confusion, chaos, and fear are their recipe for keeping those around them under control. They manage up, not down Image is everything for them. They perform for senior leaders while undermining the people they lead. Remember, narcissistic bosses aren't just demanding—they're destabilizing. When left unchecked, they become the perfect storm to infect corporate culture. What This Does To Your Mental Health When you're working for a narcissist, it can lead to significant mental health issues. Often, it triggers anxiety, burnout, and in extreme cases, symptoms of PTSD. The ongoing criticism, blaming, shifting landscape and emotional unpredictability can lead to chronic stress that impacts your mind and body. As your confidence wanes, you doubt your capacity and abilities, overwork yourself to gain approval, and withdraw from your support networks. Narcissistic leaders can cause intense self-doubt and emotional exhaustion, making even the most competent professionals question their worth. But here's the thing - you're not powerless. Five Strategies to Protect Yourself and Take Control Here's how you take back control and crush the toxic boss. 1. Set boundaries early and stick to them Narcissists test boundaries—constantly. Get clear on your non-negotiables for mental health: maybe you're not available 24/7, you won't accept disrespect, and you expect basic decency. Once you draw the line, hold it. Relentlessly. 2. Document everything Document, document, document. Keep a log of conversations, deliverables and any signs of manipulation or gaslighting. Ensure you note the time, date, who was there, what was said and how it impacted you. 3. Speak in facts, not emotion Skip emotional confrontations—you won't win. Stick to neutral, factual language: 'When we talked on Monday, you asked me to X. On Wednesday, you said Y. Now you're saying Z.' Let the inconsistency speak for itself. 4. Build horizontal alliances Trust your peers, not the hierarchy. Build your network inside and outside your organization, as these buffers counter the isolation narcissists create. 5. Know when to walk Sometimes the healthiest move is a strategic exit. If your mental health is being impacted and efforts to cope or confront fail, polish off your CV because it's time to leave. Final Word You're not too sensitive. You're observant. If your boss demands loyalty, shuts down feedback, and makes everything about themselves, you're not dealing with a difficult personality—you're dealing with a narcissist. It's not you—it's them. Protect your sanity. See the signs for what they are. And if your organization enables the abuse, walk away. Narcissists don't tend to change—and staying will cost you more than your job.
Irish Times
08-07-2025
- Irish Times
Receptionist called a 'lazy b***h' by co-worker says apology wasn't ‘genuine'
A medical clinic receptionist claims she was forced to quit because her employer failed to address a 'toxic' work atmosphere after she said a colleague repeatedly called her a 'lazy b***h' to her face. The worker, Gwen Doyle, has complained that the apology she got from her colleague after a workplace investigation was 'not genuine' and that the other worker was simply 'told what to say'. In a complaint under the Unfair Dismissals Act 1977, Ms Doyle has alleged she was constructively dismissed in October 2024 from the Athboy Family Practice in Co Meath, where she had worked for 19 years. Her trade union, Siptu, told the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) at a hearing on Tuesday that the clinic's management denied her natural justice in investigating her formal grievance about the incident and failed to address a 'toxic' workplace environment READ MORE That left her with 'no other option' except to consider herself constructively dismissed, it was submitted on her behalf. The employer is contesting the case – its solicitor, Terry Gorry, stating that it made 'strenuous efforts' to resolve the formal grievance. Giving evidence to the WRC on Tuesday, Ms Doyle said that on a date in April 2024, she was on a call dealing with a repair of a computer when her colleague turned to her and said: 'Answer the phone, you lazy b***h.' Ms Doyle said her reply was: 'Sorry, what did you say?' Her colleague then said: 'Answer the phone, you lazy b***h, you do nothing in here,' the complainant said. She said she went and reported the remark to the practice manager, Kirsty Sanderson, who sent her to the canteen. 'I couldn't speak. I was in bits over the whole thing,' Ms Doyle said. She said she agreed when Ms Sanderson proposed getting the other receptionist to apologise. The other receptionist then came to the canteen and Ms Sanderson told her: 'You'll have to apologise,' Ms Doyle said. 'I've no intention of apologising. You are a lazy b***h,' was the other worker's reply, the complainant said. Ms Sanderson then made reference to 'numerous complaints' about Ms Doyle, the complainant added. The practice manager then said: 'You have no interest in your job. You're bringing your family life into it,' the complainant added. 'I was put in a back room and told to stay there. [The other receptionist] was told to go to reception,' Ms Doyle said. Ms Doyle said she remained in the room until lunchtime, when Ms Sanderson went to her and asked whether she was going to for her lunch. On her return, Ms Doyle said she told Ms Sanderson: 'I need a list of the complaints against me.' 'She said: 'You're not getting them.' I said: 'I want a written apology,'' Ms Doyle added. She said she then returned to her normal place of work at the clinic's reception and worked until 5pm, but that it was a 'toxic environment'. The tribunal heard Ms Doyle took sick leave and remained on sick leave thereafter, except for one day when she was persuaded by a colleague to return because the clinic was 'stuck'. 'It was absolutely horrendous,' she said. Ms Doyle said both Ms Sanderson and the other receptionist apologised to her following a formal grievance process that was completed in July 2024. She said the other receptionist told her: 'Sorry for what I said.' 'That was it, and she just walked out,' Ms Doyle said. 'Kirsty said: 'I'm sorry for what I said, but I refute some of the things you said in your report,'' she added. 'They were not genuine. Both apologies were not genuine. They were told what to say,' the complainant said. 'I could not go back into the work environment. It was too toxic. It wouldn't have been good for my health, mentally or physically,' she said. Ms Doyle's trade union advocate, Peter Glynn said the grievance investigation was 'shallow and lacked substance'. He added that when Ms Doyle took issue with the grievance outcome, she received correspondence stating that the incident had been 'dealt with' and the matter was 'closed'. This remained the position after Ms Glynn got her trade union got involved, Mr Glynn submitted, though the employer did state that it was 'willing to look at rosters to identify the best working environment', he added. Ms Doyle's position was that no matter what hours she was given, she would still be required to work with Ms Sanderson. The tribunal heard the employer objected when the union referred the case to the WRC for consideration under the Industrial Relations Act 1969 in September last year. 'Mediation was sought and offered. The employer failed to engage,' Mr Glynn said. At this stage, Ms Doyle was left 'no other option' except to conclude she had been constructively dismissed, he added. Adjudication officer Michael McEntee has adjourned the matter to later in the summer, when Mr Gorry is expected to continue with his cross-examination of the complainant. Ms Sanderson is expected to give evidence at a later stage in the case, as are Dr Anthony Ryan and another member of the clinic's staff, Catherine Dolan.
Forbes
24-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
5 Ways To Tackle A Lack Of Engagement In The Workplace
Less than a quarter of employees globally are engaged at work Last year the percentage of engaged employees globally fell to 21% from 23% in 2023, with manager engagement tumbling to 27% from 30%, according to the Gallup State of the Global Workplace: 2025 Report. What's more, this loss of engagement cost the world economy a staggering US$438 billion in lost productivity. So, as work demands continue to mount, how can leaders ensure their teams are energized, motivated and committed to work? Here are five ways they can proactively tackle disengagement in the workplace: 1. Confront toxicity One pressing barrier to workplace engagement is the persistence of toxicity. Toxic behaviors within teams include bullying and harassment, micromanagement, gossiping, inappropriate behavior, favoritism and outright discrimination. 'Many workers disengage simply because they don't feel respected or included,' says Faye Allen, a chartered quantity surveyor and author of Building Women. 'When people face exclusion, sexism and microaggressions, they often withdraw.' Allen argues that by addressing toxicity at work – as well as cultivating diversity and inclusion – leaders can unlock collaboration and fresh ideas that might otherwise go untapped. 'Your commitment to inclusion fosters a workplace culture where individuals feel seen, valued, supported and empowered to contribute fully,' she says. 'Tackling disengagement starts with building safe, inclusive spaces where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.' To address declining employee engagement, Dr Rich Stockdale, CEO of natural capital non-profit Oxygen Conservation and author of Scaling Conservation, advocates for radical transparency. This is an approach that promotes openness, honesty and full disclosure within an organization. 'If you want your team to feel genuinely engaged, you must provide them with all the necessary information and involve them in the decision-making process', Stockdale explains. 'For example, beginning the week with a highly structured and focused team meeting opens a forum to discuss key projects, business performance and all the issues and challenges for the week ahead.' According to Stockdale, this kind of radical transparency not only builds trust but also a culture of continuous learning, both essential for sustained engagement. When mistakes are openly discussed and seen as opportunities, team members feel safer to participate and contribute ideas. Stockdale believes that radical transparency is an 'invitation for everyone to engage in thoughtful conversations, evaluate the potential consequences and seek innovative solutions, further deepening engagement.' 3. Use storytelling to communicate 'Communication skills are a vital component of a leader's engagement toolkit,' argues Elliot Kay, impactful communication specialist and co-founder of The Speaker Awards. He believes that to truly engage a team, leaders must move beyond simply describing the work and toward storytelling with authenticity. 'While the facts are crucial, it's the way that you communicate these that secures your team members' attention and commitment,' says Kay. 'The best communicators cut the fluff and are aligned with their core purpose. They explain the 'why' and demonstrate appreciation for their team's input and expertise because it is these elements that help people build a sense of connection with their work, their colleagues and the organization.' It's essential that leaders adapt to the communication styles of others. For some, precise statistics will be engaging while others will be more interested in an inspiring story or example. 'An effective leader will understand how to tailor their communication style to a particular team or individual,' notes Kay. 'This extends to tone of voice and physical presence too.' 4. Align everyone around the shared goal Ritavan, a technology entrepreneur and author of Data Impact, believes that leaders should use a military practice called Commander's Intent to boost engagement. 'It encourages leaders to clearly communicate their overarching goal, empowering and aligning their teams to act autonomously while maintaining accountability,' Ritavan explains. Commander's Intent can be described as a clear description of what a successful mission will look like. It can enable employees to act intelligently, independently and with agility. When this approach is adopted, success is measured against achieving the mission's intent, not merely in terms of following instructions or a roadmap. 'Commander's Intent helps to ensure everyone involved knows their goal and the overall vision of how to achieve it,' says Ritavan. 'This allows people to assess the scope within which they can operate and the types and levels of risks that are acceptable. In turn, you can expect that team members know their work better, do their work better and collaborate better.' 5. Empower middle managers According to Gallup, 70% of the variance in team engagement is determined solely by the manager. For this reason, Chris Spratling, founder of advisory business Chalkhill Blue and author of The Exit Roadmap, recommends investing in training and fostering autonomy to empower middle managers. 'If your managers are disengaged, their teams are too,' he observes. Spratling believes that by investing in leadership development programs, mentoring and coaching, organizations can equip middle managers to take on greater responsibility. He explains: 'This not only distributes leadership more effectively throughout the business but also deepens managers' sense of ownership and connection to the company's mission.' Empowered middle managers act as a vital bridge between senior leadership and frontline staff, according to Spratling. 'By sharing power across multiple layers of your organization, you decentralize control and create a ripple effect,' he says. 'Engaged managers lead more connected, motivated and high-performing teams, ultimately driving stronger business outcomes.' The importance of tackling a lack of engagement in the workplace Lack of engagement is a major workplace problem, as the Gallup research attests. That's why leaders should prioritize tackling it and focus as much as possible on getting their people back on board.
Forbes
23-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
7 Job Posting Red Flags You Can't Afford To Ignore In 2025
Identifying job posting red flags early can help you steer clear of toxic workplaces. The job market has become a minefield of deceptive practices, with 81% of recruiters posting "ghost" jobs that don't actually exist. As companies compete for talent, many craft job postings with language that masks toxic work environments, unrealistic expectations, and compensation issues. To help you dodge these toxic roles and land better opportunities, I've identified the seven most damaging job posting red flags that signal trouble ahead—and exactly how to handle each one when you encounter it. 1. The "Unlimited PTO" Trap Unlimited paid time off sounds like the ultimate employee benefit, but it's often a strategy designed to improve a company's balance sheet rather than enhance employee well-being. While only 8% of American employers offer this perk, career experts warn that it frequently leads to employees taking less vacation time due to guilt and unclear boundaries, with time off typically requiring employer approval despite the "unlimited" label. Ask these key questions: "What's the average number of PTO days employees actually take per year?" and "Can you walk me through the approval process?" Warning signs: Vague responses about "as much time as you need" or emphasis on "getting work done first" without clear boundaries. Look for instead: Companies with specific minimum PTO requirements (e.g., "15+ days encouraged") and leadership that actively models time off. 2. Vague Compensation Language Job posting phrases like "competitive salary," "salary commensurate with experience," and "uncapped earnings potential" are red flags that typically indicate below-market compensation, a lack of transparent pay structure and limited negotiation room. "Uncapped earnings potential" is particularly concerning, as it usually means extremely low or non-guaranteed base pay with income heavily dependent on difficult-to-achieve commissions or bonuses. Research first: Use salary sites (Glassdoor, PayScale) to know market rates and check if the company is in a salary transparency state. Ask directly: "What's the salary range for this position?" and "What percentage of employees hit their bonus targets?" Negotiate smartly: Focus on base salary rather than total compensation potential, and get everything in writing. 3. The "Family" Culture Warning When job postings describe companies as "like a family," this seemingly warm phrase often masks concerning workplace dynamics, including blurred professional boundaries, unpaid overtime expectations, emotional manipulation to increase workload and informal decision-making processes that favor certain employees. Companies with genuinely supportive cultures describe their environment in specific terms, highlighting concrete benefits, career development opportunities and clear advancement paths rather than relying on emotional language. Ask for specifics: "Can you describe your promotion process?" and "What are the boundaries around after-hours communication?" Watch for: Responses emphasizing "loyalty" over development or company social events being highlighted as primary benefits. Seek instead: Clear organizational charts, documented overtime policies and specific professional development budgets. 4. Unsustainable Work Expectations Job posting terms like "fast-paced environment," "thrives under pressure," and "work hard, play hard" often signal deeper organizational problems, including understaffing, unrealistic deadlines, poor work-life balance and high employee turnover rates. Companies using this language frequently try to normalize unsustainable work conditions by framing them as exciting challenges, which can translate to mandatory "optional" events, unpaid overtime and expectations to always be "on." Clarify expectations: Ask about typical work hours, average employee tenure and how they handle stretched resources. Research thoroughly: Check Glassdoor for mentions of burnout and whether the company consistently hires for the same roles. Assess your fit: Consider your stress tolerance and whether the experience is worth the potential risk of burnout. 5. The Jack-of-All-Trades Deception Phrases like "wear multiple hats," "jack-of-all-trades needed," and "diverse responsibilities" often reveal that one person is expected to do the work of several employees due to inadequate staffing, limited resources and unclear role boundaries. Employees in these positions frequently become overwhelmed, unable to develop deep expertise and struggle to demonstrate clear achievements for career advancement—all while receiving compensation that doesn't align with the breadth of responsibilities. Get specific: Ask what percentage of time you'll spend on each responsibility and what support systems are in place. Evaluate compensation: Research salaries for each responsibility mentioned and negotiate based on the combined scope of work. Consider timing: This approach may be suitable for startups with equity or roles that have clear growth trajectories but avoid it if unclear reporting structures exist. 6. The "Entry-Level" Myth "Entry-level position requiring 3-5 years of experience" is one of the most frustrating contradictions in job postings, signaling that companies want advanced skills without paying for experienced professionals. These positions create impossible barriers for genuine entry-level candidates while potentially undervaluing experienced professionals, often indicating that companies lack understanding of their actual staffing needs or are attempting to justify below-market compensation. For newer candidates: Apply if you meet 60-70% of the qualifications and highlight transferable skills from relevant projects or educational experiences. For experienced candidates: Question the classification directly and research the compensation for mid-level positions at the company. Universal approach: Seek companies with honest level designations ("Associate," "Junior") and clear career progression paths. 7. Transparency and Communication Issues Job postings that lack clear information about roles, responsibilities, benefits and company structure represent a significant warning sign that legitimate employers should never exhibit. Companies that are evasive about basic job details, including vague job descriptions, missing reporting structures, unclear benefit descriptions and inconsistent information across platforms, are likely to continue this pattern of poor communication once you're hired, extending to performance expectations, advancement criteria and company policies. Cross-reference everything: Compare job postings across platforms and research the company's organizational structure on LinkedIn. Ask for clarity: Request detailed job descriptions, reporting structures and benefit information because legitimate employers will provide these. Walk away if: You get multiple evasive responses, inconsistent information from different interviewers or pressure to decide without full details. Protect Yourself from Job Posting Red Flags Employees who overlook these warning signs during their job search often find themselves trapped in unsuitable roles for months. Many report that toxic workplaces take a serious toll on their mental health. When professionals get stuck in dysfunctional positions, their career growth also stalls significantly. That's why spotting job posting red flags is crucial. Learning to recognize these warning signs early protects you from unhealthy work environments and positions you for long-term career success.
Yahoo
22-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
19 Employees Reveal The Jaw-Dropping Moments A Toxic Coworker Made The Entire Office Go SILENT, And These Are An HR NIGHTMARE
No matter where one works or what kind of job they have, there's always that ONE coworker who makes everything, well, awful. Whether they're nosy, obnoxious, or simply rude, they constantly ruin the mood of the entire office... That's why when Redditor u/MommaOnHeels143 asked, "What's something a toxic coworker did that made the whole office go silent?" thousands of people shared stories about their unhinged coworkers who left the entire office bewildered. Here are 19 of their most jaw-dropping stories: If you've ever dealt with a toxic coworker who left the entire office speechless, you can tell us about it anonymously using this form. Content warning: Death, weight-shaming, animal abuse, firearm usage, and misogyny. 1."I started my career at a federal agency and worked with a guy who was just weird. He did all kinds of unhinged stuff, but the thing that shook the whole office was an email he sent out one morning..." "Evidently, he had been dating another employee in a different division of the agency, but they broke up, so he sent an email to around 200 coworkers with the subject line: 'Please Respect Our Privacy.' He then rattled off three pages of narrative explaining every detail of his relationship with this woman who broke up with him, and concluded with 'So we will no longer be getting married.' I will never forget the morning that email went out. The entire office went silent for five minutes — no typing, no phone calls, no small talk, just a bunch of people trying to wrap their heads around what they had just read. Nobody knew they were dating, and nobody cared they broke up; it was never going to become a topic of office conversation until he brought it to everybody's attention in the weirdest way possible. Then, to make matters worse, the woman he had been dating found out and said, 'Married? We went out five times!' Somehow, this guy thought casual dating was a guaranteed path to marriage, and that he had to announce to everyone that the 'marriage' was off. So f*cking weird." —[deleted] 2."One morning, we were in the women's bathroom when a co-worker walked in after her extended maternity leave. Everyone greeted her and asked her how her baby was doing. She smiled at first, but as soon as we mentioned her baby, her face fell, and she went pale before telling us it had died." "Before anyone could say anything, one of our coworkers told her, 'My baby is gorgeous, she's four months old and laughs beautifully.'" —u/mischiefkar28 3."The head of HR was judgmental about nearly everything, but especially people's weight and eating habits. She hated potlucks in particular because there would be so much food. Once, when we held a potluck for a holiday, she came down to examine all the food options..." "She then sent an office-wide email with the calorie count on everything at the potluck to inform us of how many thousands of calories we'd be consuming that day, and spent the rest of the day sulking in her cubicle. She did lots of other crappy stuff, but this one angered a lot of people and ultimately led to the boss telling her to back off and let everyone enjoy their lunch." —u/spider_speller 4."I once had a coworker whom I didn't speak to often because we had different jobs, but I still thought we were on friendly terms as we had gotten coffee together a few times..." "One day, both of us came into work wearing the exact SAME green shirt with a slight cutout near the neck. One of our male colleagues joked that we were twins and asked if we had gone shopping together. This wasn't in great taste, but I laughed and said 'Great minds think alike.' What my coworker did next caused everyone in the office to go quiet: She. LOST. HER. SH*T. She started accusing me of copying her, and claimed I always tried to be 'exactly like her' by stalking her when she went to get coffee, etc. Everyone went silent, and I just sat in my chair and cried. She apologized a week later with a letter and a necklace, but I never talked to her again. My contract was up two months later, and I was glad to get out of there." —u/Geekygreeneyes 5."This happened about seven years ago on the anniversary of 9/11: I work in one of New York's neighboring states, and my coworkers and I were talking about 9/11 when I mentioned that my dad, who works in Manhattan, was there when it happened." "A problematic coworker casually said she didn't understand why 9/11 was made out to be such a big deal since people die every day anyway. My coworkers and I were so perplexed by her comment that we just walked away. It wasn't worth it to argue with someone who thinks like that." —u/breebree934 Related: "That Sentence Sat In My Head For Months": Men Are Revealing The Most Hurtful Things A Woman Can Say To Them, And It's Actually Fascinating 6."Our new boss called a full staff meeting to introduce herself. She kicked things off with an icebreaker game: everyone says their name, where they were born, and a fun fact about themselves." "She went first, and her fun fact about herself was that as a child, she hugged her cat to death. The room was totally silent as we all realized that we worked for a sociopath. To this day, I am more disturbed by the choice to tell that as a funny anecdote than the story itself. She went on to be exactly as toxic as you'd think." —u/bjr0che 7."A first-year principal who was definitely not a people person absolutely botched the end-of-year celebration at our school. Normally, we had a slideshow that honored those leaving and those retiring..." "She presented a basic slide, rapidly named everyone leaving, and said, 'Thank you for your service.' Then clicked to the next slide for the sole person retiring. This beloved woman had worked in the district her entire adult life, but the slide was blank with only her name on it. It had other boxes that said 'Achievements,' 'Plans for Retirement,' 'Pictures,' 'Funny Memories,' but they were all blank. The new principal said, 'Oh, whoops…anyway, thanks for your service,' wrapped up the meeting, and immediately walked to her office. The whole celebration, which normally takes 20 minutes, took maybe three. You could have heard a pin drop. The first sound was made by a teacher who started hysterically crying because she felt so bad for the retiring teacher." —u/SinfullySinless 8."One of our coworkers carried his shotgun into our cubicles, racked it, and asked, 'Which one of you is first?'" "He claimed he was 'joking,' so the owners of the company let him get away with it." —u/REALtumbisturdler 9."I work in IT for a site that sells products. Once, there was a messed-up account that had somehow assigned the account ID to multiple different names and emails." "We were all trying to fix it when a 56-year-old male coworker shouted on the recorded call, 'Oh, I see why this account is broken...A woman made it!' It was silence. I asked him to explain his 'joke' and he crumbled like a granola bar." —u/kejky93 Related: People Are Sharing How What Happened In Vegas Did NOT Stay In Vegas, And This Should Be A Lesson To Never Go To A Bachelor/Bachelorette Party There 10."One of our managers was a total a-hole; the kind of manager who sets unreasonably high standards and then openly berates people who couldn't live up to them while threatening jobs and questioning competence. However, when her child and husband passed away in a tragic accident, we all felt terrible for her." "The day before the accident, she deservedly wrote up a guy for a major screw-up. When we were talking about her tragedy at lunchtime, the guy who received the write-up said she deserved it for being such a b*tch. We all hated her, but her child and husband were innocent, and no matter how much of an a-hole she was, she didn't deserve that. After that comment, no one really wanted to hang out with him, and he eventually left while complaining that everyone hated him. When you make the whole office side with the a-hole boss over you, you went too far." —u/ThePeasantKingM 11."I work at a school and one of my coworkers dumped a student who has both Down syndrome and autism out of a chair and said, 'Act normal!'" "One of the teachers ran to the student to aid them, and I stepped outside the room and called the admin. There was silence from everyone. To this day, he denies any wrongdoing. I believe he thinks he is innocent and a skilled professional working with people with disabilities, even though he was so much worse than that one situation. It's sad that it took a student getting physically hurt for the admin and the board to make a move. He had already been transferred for grabbing a student's wrist at another school. He is likely still employed and working somewhere else, though. It's infuriating." —u/Dailia- 12."My office used to take on externs from a local medical billing school. One was assigned to my cubicle section and she was A LOT to deal with — there had already been complaints about her behavior." "One of the women who also sat in my section was a nursing mom, and she had hung a curtain up at her cube to close when she was pumping (this was before pumping rooms were required). Her pump made a noise that wasn't loud, but you could still hear it. One day, I heard the extern ask, 'What's that noise?' Quickly followed by the sound of the curtain opening and my coworker screaming. It all happened so fast, I couldn't warn either one of them. The extern was dismissed that afternoon." —u/JuanaBlanca 13."One day, we all heard a guy who was hired to work on a trading desk start to argue with his trainer. The trainer asserted himself, and the trainee (on his third day) stood up, started shouting, and pushed papers and supplies off his desk. The entire floor went silent and watched as he was fired and escorted out." "I later discovered the trainee had been given a company-sponsored credit card to pay for moving expenses that would be reimbursed. The paperwork emphasized that the card's owner was responsible for the bill, not the company. It seems he didn't read that and went straight from his firing to an electronics shop to buy thousands of dollars in film, stereo, and TV equipment, which he claimed he needed for work. The joke was on him when he got the bill. We found out because he refused to pay the bill and stated the company would pay it. The company refused and stuck him with it. After multiple incidents of attempted fraud like this, the credit card program was ended. The number of attempts to fraudulently charge personal items to the company FAR exceeded everyone's expectations." —u/InterruptingChicken1 14."About 15 years ago, I was working in telecom. At a staff meeting, the project manager was telling us to put our time off requests in for the holidays, so he said to my coworker, 'When is Black Christmas this year? Do you need off for that?'" "She blinked a few times and answered, 'What? Black Christmas?' He replied, 'Yeah, isn't it near Christmas but different every year?' She said, 'Do you mean Kwanzaa? I don't celebrate Kwanzaa.' He was pleased she didn't need extra time off while the rest of us cringed from the inside out." —u/Time_Ocean 15."My sister-in-law, who was in her 20s, was dying of heart failure over the course of a few weeks, however, my boss didn't like that I wasn't answering his texts on a SATURDAY, so on Monday, in a team meeting, he told me to 'Just put a pillow over her head and get it over with.'" "There were three seconds of silence, but being construction workers, all of my coworkers started laughing afterwards." —u/Pale-Upstairs7777 16."I have a story that actually involved me: With my job, I work away from home for weeks at a time, and during the pandemic, I was classified as an essential worker, so I didn't have any restrictions." "I had been away from home for over 12 weeks. For the last two of those, I was working at a site, completing all the required urgent scopes, and counting the days until I got to see my kids because I had a cut-off date. The site supervisor asked if I could slip in one more job, but told me it was okay if I couldn't. I let him know that it wasn't possible since it would take longer than we had, but he was cool about it and told me he would get it deferred. The day I was preparing to fly out, the site manager was there listing tasks and said to me, 'You'll do that vessel scope this week,' and I told him that wasn't possible because I was flying out. He told me I had to stay because he had promised the client it would be done. I insisted and told him that I would NOT be doing it because I hadn't seen my kids in 12 weeks, and I was leaving regardless. His response was: 'Well, maybe you shouldn't have had kids.' The whole room of 24 guys went dead silent and looked at each other before I said 'How about you f*ck off?' and stormed out the door. I heard my coworkers directing a fair amount of verbal abuse towards him before the supervisor came out, apologized to me, and said he had no idea the manager was going to do that. About 30 minutes later, the manager himself called me in for a meeting to grovel, claiming that he thought he was making a joke and should have read the situation better since everyone had been away from their families for so long." —u/psiren66 17."I didn't work in an office but at an electronics retailer. We had a big team meeting coming up, and the manager bought a Nintendo Wii (which had been recently released) on his own time and with his own money. He designated it as a fundraiser prize, with all the proceeds going to the local food bank." "One coworker had been bragging about his success with selling stuff online. When the fundraiser was announced, he wasn't interested, so the rest of us bought a few raffle tickets at $1 each, talking about the different Wii games we wanted to try. On the day of the drawing, the 'entrepreneurial' coworker suddenly got very interested and bought $50 of tickets on his own, ten times more than most other employees. His name was drawn, and he accepted the console from the manager, then announced, 'This will be listed online in a couple of hours.' He tried to use a charitable event to turn a profit. We were all stunned into silence. Fortunately, the manager talked to him and explained why that was a bad idea. A few weeks later, he said he'd given it to his nephew instead." —u/HawaiianShirtsOR 18."Back in the day, I ran the phone board for a mid-priced hotel. Most of my coworkers were amazing, with the exception of a security guard who loved to show off his gun and twirl it around his index finger. He also drank on the job and bragged about cheating on his girlfriend with various guests in their hotel rooms, which was VERY much against hotel policy." "One night, this guard came down to warn me that there was a bat in the hallway near the pool and gave me a heads up that the hotel guests might be calling down to the front desk to complain about gunfire because he was going to shoot the bat. By the time the front desk finished gaping, we managed to come to our senses and stop him. He was escorted out by management soon after that, and was apparently blacklisted by the hotel chain. Our other security guard was relieved that he was let go. As for the bat, I grabbed a cardboard board out of an old tabletop game we kept in the lobby for guests and an empty garbage can, went upstairs, caught it, and let it loose in the parking garage near the exit so it could fly off once night fell." —u/NoeTellusom 19."I had a colleague with anger issues, I'll call him 'Angerman,' and another colleague, whom I'll call Vicky. Vicky was the only person in her department due to a freakish string of others leaving. This meant that although she was experienced in her area, she wasn't caught up on our team's particular workflows. At that time, we were a start-up with around 15 members total..." "One day, Vicky dared to ask Angerman politely, but publicly, for an update on his project. His desk was in the corner and he turned around to face the rest of the office before screaming: 'For F*CK'S sake Vicky, if you just use your eyes and find the link, you can check on updates yourself! Do you want me to come click it for you? Want me to hold your hand, so we can find the link with our eyes, and then use our hands to click it? Do you want me to read it to you as well? Like a bedtime story? Does Vicky want a widdle bedtime story for lunch?' He turned around again to face his screen and muttered something I don't remember. There was dead silence in the office — no typing, no clicking, nothing. Vicky somehow held it together for a few minutes before saying she was grabbing coffee for anyone who wanted one. I went with her to 'help carry them' and let her know that it wasn't his first outburst. It was his WORST, but she did nothing wrong. I believe Angerman got a slap on the wrist, not even a formal warning. He was talented at what he did, and I think he got away with a lot because of it. Vicky chose to message him in the future, but I still wonder if he had the same kind of outbursts via text." —u/WalkingSilentz Did any of these stories surprise you? Have you ever dealt with a toxic coworker who did something shocking? Tell us in the comments or answer anonymously using the form below! Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity. 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