30 Times Employees Gave Awful Bosses A Taste Of Their Own Medicine

We were interested in getting financial expert Sam's thoughts on the healthy and mature way to respond to a bad manager's negative attitude in the workplace. He suggested going for the direct approach—open and honest communication.

"The best way to deal with a bad manager is to sit down with them in a one-on-one setting and share with them how their actions make you feel. Be calm and point out examples of where their actions made you feel uncomfortable," the founder of Financial Samurai explained to Bored Panda, stressing the importance of staying in control of one's emotions in these situations.

"The manager may simply not be aware of how their actions are causing distress to you and other employees. In a private one-on-one setting, it's a safe place where the manager should feel less threatened," Sam said.

"Once you make a person see the other side, most reasonable people should be able to make adjustments to improve the work environment."

Most of us know that living in constant anger is awful for us. So we wanted to figure out the best way to let go of these feelings and the idea of getting actual revenge against your superiors. The author of Buy This, Not That advised employees to put themselves in their boss' shoes.

"Understand that bosses also have tremendous stress placed on them by their bosses. The higher you go up the corporate ladder, the more pressure there usually is. The key is to understand all the reasons why the boss is acting the way they are," Sam told Bored Panda.

"Sometimes, the boss may not be pleasant due to personal issues at home that are carrying over to the workplace. Other times, bosses just need to be heard," he said.

However, Sam added that if your boss has really wronged you, "then the best way to get revenge is to go to a competitor, and plant a virus in the organization that destroys it from within!" Though that's reserved for those rare cases where things get incredibly bad!

Revenge is a bit of a double-edged sword. On the one hand, justice and fairness are very important parts of excelling in any field. When we’re at work, we want equal pay, good work conditions, a clear career path, and to feel as though our jobs have a greater purpose than just helping us pay our rent. In short, we need constant motivation to try harder and be better.

A good leader is someone who will have their team’s interests in mind, not just the company’s bottom line. They know that a highly-motivated group of people who find purpose in their day-to-day tasks will stop at nothing to get great results. Money is just part of the equation.

Forbes explains that employees want trustworthy managers, the possibility to improve their skills, and advance their careers. Moreover, they value safety and security and having an impact on the world. Progress, clarity, and purpose are essential here. If you want to have a miserable team and a high turnover rate, do the opposite!

A recent poll conducted by Ciphr found that 67% of British employees valued work-life balance as the most important aspect of their jobs. In second place was pay and benefits (59%), while job security (57%), job satisfaction (53%), and a healthy work environment (42%) followed suit. 

The situation is quite similar across the pond, too. According to the data from Forbes Health-Ipsos Monthly Health Tracker, 90% of polled American employees said that work-life balance is an important aspect of their job. 91% said that they value financial stability while 90% noted that consistent pay was essential.

Meanwhile, the data that the BBC looked at showed that 65% of Brits prioritize work-life balance over pay. 63% of Americans said the same. It’s pretty clear what managers ought to focus on. Their employees value freedom and clear boundaries. Something that’s bound to get them riled up, however, is giving them tons of unpaid overtime and playing it fast and loose with work hours.

One way to be a good boss is to embrace the idea of servant leadership. It focuses on empathy, humility, as well as selflessness. The idea is that managers strive to support and empower their workers to keep them motivated and passionate about what they do. Moral, principled people who always do the right thing instead of changing their opinions just to be popular 

However, no boss will ever be perfect and they’re not mind-readers (even if you might think some of them are!). Employees need to shoulder at least part of the burden as well. Specifically, when it comes to communication. They need to let their superiors know what they need, what works, what doesn’t, and what’s making their lives so awful that they’d rather quit. Transparency is a two-way street.

Obviously, revenge feels good when it’s deserved. If you give someone who’s been making your life utter hell a taste of karma, you feel like you’ve restored some sort of cosmic balance. However, before you start coming up with elaborate plans that may or may not involve foam boulder traps and non-venomous snakes, think about what it is that you truly want from your life and career.

Why is it that you want revenge? Are you letting your boss live rent-free in your head? Living in constant anger is awful for your physical, emotional, and mental health. It can lead to digestive issues, cardiovascular problems, and even metabolic diseases. Anger can be a force that changes the world for the better. But at some points, it’s simply better to… let go.

Maybe you need to switch departments. Maybe you need to jump ship and build a career at a different, better company. Maybe the actual issue isn’t how bad your boss is but something else in your life entirely. Whatever the case, put yourself first and consider whether revenge is actually worth it. Being the better person, making yourself a priority, and simply moving on works as well. After all, the best revenge is a life well lived.