Quitting a toxic workplace and shutting the doors with bad management behind them can feel overwhelming. Especially if you really tried to put up with all the nonsense and stay positive even when the facts showed the opposite.
No wonder the last day and even the last minute in that job can feel not just special, but as memorable as if it happened yesterday. So when someone posed a question “What was your final 'eff you' to a boss you didn’t like?” on Ask Reddit, the thread went viral, amassing 21.1k upvotes.
Below we wrapped up some of the most interesting stories people shared.
#1
Sent them to the feds for Medicare fraud and they got fined 41.7 mil.
Image credits: Darwina1226
#2
I worked hard over the course of a year to get all my former coworkers I cared about new jobs.
Image credits: stebuu
#3
My exit interview when I was asked the reason for leaving, I simply said their name and nothing more
Image credits: mixologist998
#4
I taped a piece of fish to the back of his desk which was up against a wall. I heard later on that it wasn't found for almost a month... f**k you Darren
Image credits: starforce1616
#5
Took the taxi home after being wrongfully dismissed. Tipped the taxi drive $250 on company expense.
Image credits: Budrich2020
#6
I gave him a two-hour notice when I quit. He had a habit of firing people on the spot when they gave advance notice.
Image credits: California_Sun1112
#7
Working retail I quit at the register on Black Friday. I had recently gotten another full-time job and was keeping this retail gig because I liked the employee discount and due to my other job this check was pure fun money, all that is to say I didn't *need* the retail job.My store manager comes over at hour 7 of my shift, with chaos and a line 100 people long, and has the nerve to tell me my up-sales(fishing for promo signups, i.e. rewards, credit cards etc) weren't cutting it for how much traffic I was seeing. In front of the customers! I already couldn't stand this B so I said, "You know what you do it, I'm done" and then I apologized to my coworkers on the way out.
Image credits: GreedoInASpeedo
#8
My boss and I had butted heads a few times after she took over the office. After finding a much better job I handed her a list of my job responsibilities, which she asked for because she didn't understand what I did there."This is too much, we'd have to distribute all this to like 4 different people" and I said "yea" and walked out. Spoiler: she didn't do any of that and was fired less than a year later as the office was falling apart.
Image credits: ijustcomment
#9
On my last day at the bowling alley, I sent an email to head office detailing all the s**t he’d been up to but everyone was too afraid to report (inc. trying to fire someone when he found out she was pregnant - a big no no in my country).I heard later that the next day regional manager and a couple of executives turned up for a surprise inspection. He’s found in the office, having backed a 16 year old female colleague in the corner, screaming at the top of his lungs, with his big red vein-throbbing face touching hers. She was distraught and obviously crying her eyes out.
Manager was escorted off premises there and then and never heard from again.
Image credits: FrostyBallBag
#10
When I left, he promised to take half what I was making and spread it among the team as raises to cover the extra work. He was trying to stop the exodus as I was the 3rd person to leave in a short time.So when I left I handed my pay stub (minus social security info) to the team and said
>Just in case he tried to lie. This is what I make.
He tried to lie. They also realized they were being underpaid by a good chunk.
He told me that was a breach of confidential information and they could sue me. I told him to sue me then. Never heard from that company again except for tax docs.
For those unfamiliar, in the US you are legally allowed to disclose your own pay. And its illegal for your employer to tell you that you cant.
Im assuming if he did try that HR or the lawyers quickly corrected him before they had to hand me a settlement.
Image credits: AlphaTangoFoxtrt
#11
I reported him to the work inspection.He was employing more trainee than the legislation allows for a company this size and was making them work them like full paid workers, with basically no formation at all.
He got controlled and fined a big amount of money, had to give money to previous trainee that had worked for him, etc… His company closed for bankruptcy after that.
Sweet justice.
Image credits: Grin-Guy
#12
After working my entire career for a company as an engineer… I was laid off with others for no reason. Remaining boss requested all my files so they could continue my work. I said the day I leave you will get all my files. Last day of work I accessed the main frame and down load not just the relevant files… 20 years of files… tons and tons of folders and files all in random folders… I sent him the link. He signed off . I left. He contacted me a few days later and said that’s not what I meant by all the files. I said I don’t work there anymore I have no computer… I gave you exactly what you asked for.
Image credits: AdditionalCheetah354
#13
As far as my life goes it was the sh**tiest job I ever took. Long hours, a lot of crunch, no company vehicle and a lot of travel. Every time I'd go to a different site I would get like 20 different phone numbers for the various people I was communicating with. Anyway so all of the contacts for these people was on my company phone that was synched up to my personal GMail (which stored all the phone numbers). At some point management decided my job was redundant and decided to lay me off without notice and without severance.First thing I did was wipe my company phone clean before handing it over. A few days later they called me asking where all the contact information was stored. "Sorry I don't work for you anymore."
Image credits: garlicroastedpotato
#14
The milk I've been injecting into his chair with a hypodermic needle should be getting real rancid right about now
Image credits: CG1991
#15
Was inline for a promotion after my old supervisor was fired for ethics issues. Boss decided to open the requisition, interview and hire a person all in the 2 days I had off.Since the person hired had no experience in my department/field, I was expected to train my new supervisor, and the other new people they also hired.
I did none of that, quit (gave my 2 weeks), and didn't explain a single thing to anyone in those 10 days. Supposedly it took almost half a year to get close to where they were before this all went down.
Image credits: 180Proof
#16
Had a boss that was terrible to me. Him and his wife owned a restaurant together, and one day when he was yelling at me while I was getting the bar ready I saw him put in his password on his phone. It was '(space, period, space). We all know something was going on with him with another employee. Months later he wouldn't give me 3 days off because my niece died of SIDS. So I walked out, bought a $30 burner phone and texted his wife his password. They got divorced, she kept the steakhouse, and he's had 2 failed attempts at opening any establishment. I make more than him now and he lives in the c**ppy apartments down the road from me.
Image credits: Broad_Victory9016
#17
I bought the .com version of the domain name for their business and made him buy it off me for a grand. I think it made him like me more, ironically.
Image credits: Katyperri
#18
Mechanic at a commuter airline. Boss wanted me to sign off a plane pre-flight inspection. I refused to sign because the plane was not airworthy. He told me if I wished to continue working, then id better sign. My response: then I guess I don’t work here anymore. I picked up my tool box and left.
Image credits: Griffie
#19
I was thinking about quitting but has holding back. I scheduled a vacation with 3 extra days. It was a once in a lifetime type of trip. He rejected my vacation request. I thought about it for a couple of hours. Went to his office and told him 'I'm taking the trip no matter what.' The next morning the boss met me at hr and gave me a formal written warning. I responded by giving him my 2 week notice. They apologized and tried to convince me not to leave but it was too late.
Image credits: likn16
#20
Hired him as my junior in my new job#21
I worked at a dry cleaner for a summer. Front desk, cash under table type of job. I worked 50 hours one week and he told me he'd pay me time and a half for the OT. I go into work on payday and my cash envelope is not in the drawer. I called him and asked about it and he told me he couldn't pay me for my work yet. I kindly informed him that I was taking the money I was owed, and locking up the shop, and left.#22
She was a psychopathic narcissist. I knew she was plotting to leave her husband. Because I found it on a numbered to-do list on top of her desk. I was floored that she would leave it where her husband could see- it was a home office in one large room. I took a photo.She proceeded to harass and gaslight her husband, who took off one night and slept in a parking lot. When he returned the next day she said “you left me, so it’s over.”
After she royally screwed me over for the umpteenth time I quit. A few weeks later I sent the photo to her husband, copied her, and wrote, “For your records” in the subject line.
Then I reported her to the IRS.
Image credits: reddit.com
#23
I had a boss who was just plain horrible - she took pride in making people cry in every meeting she held where she had to discuss something with someone & I was one of the few people who she couldn’t make cry so she was kind of borderline fascinated with me. It’s a relatively small industry where you hear about people moving around at certain levels & I heard she had managed to get a job at a company that is famous for a really great atmosphere, where people will stay for decades because it’s a genuinely nice place to work.I used my resources/contacts to get contact information for her future bosses & made an anonymous email account just to email them & warn them about what a horrible person she was, telling them if (when) there was an issue they could use my email as the first piece of evidence rather than waiting for multiple reports. I also told people who worked for the company to be very, very wary & that management had been warned. I don’t know if it helped but I hope so.
#24
My co-worker bought cake and ice cream for the office. Someone asked what we were celebrating.. and he said his last day.
Image credits: garethrory
#25
My boss's boss hated me. He drove out my previous boss that was one of the best managers I ever worked for. He demoted me, and then when the company laid-off EVERYONE else who knew my product, I insisted he restore me to my previous status or I'd quit. He did, and he wasn't happy about it.Eventually he demoted me again and I found another job. During my exit interview with HR, I spoke at length about how he'd f****d up the department and fired many excellent people who were now working for the competition.
A few months later he was escorted to the door and told never to return. Apparently the company took a good, long look at him and found he'd been holding his meetings with his subordinate managers in a local bar and would sometimes never return to the office. I don't know whether my discussions with HR had anything to do with their review of his performance, but I'd like to think so.
Image credits: zipnathiel
#26
Salary was delayed by 2 weeks and was about told to be lenient because the company is growing and needs our help and cooperation. I waited for another week but I was ignored. I left the job without notice and upon them calling me to sue me, I replied “You have money to sue people but no money to pay employees.”I switched job and I am at a better place right now.
Image credits: nanoqueen2
#27
I was a program director developing and piloting a new program, and after a year of being overloaded and telling our exec director I either needed a second person or a smaller caseload, he pulls me into his office and goes “We don’t really think you’re a good fit for this position, but you’re a bright young lady and we’d hate to lose you. I’m giving you the option to stay and be my secretary. You have until 7am tomorrow to decide.” I took an early lunch, walked to my other job, asked if I could take on more hours, walked back, and told him I had found other employment and would have my stuff cleared out by noon. He asked if I could stay 2 more weeks to train a new person, and I told him no. What if we paid you a consultation fee? No. But you’re the only person in the county certified! Should have thought of that earlier.Bonus: This was in the middle of an audit, where it was discovered that he owed me about $3000 from unpaid hours. I like to call it my leaving bonus.
Image credits: Intrepid_Knowledge27
#28
They withheld $8,000 in pay and hired a lawyer to defend their actions. I hired a law student and we beat them into submission.#29
My boss had been completely ignoring me because he perceived my actions of talking about an upcoming project with the COO (his boss) as me “going over his head”. It had been almost a month and he hadn’t agreed to meet or talk with me, he would only send me tasks via email.I was tired of the childishness so I found another job. With my resignation letter in hand I walked to his office to resign and he predictably refused to meet with me claiming to be too busy, so I continued to walk to the COO’s office to let him know I was resigning. The COO asked if my boss knew which was the perfect time to let him know about the silent treatment I had been receiving. My old boss no longer works there :)
#30
Worked at the #1 zoo in America when I was a teenager. My manager wasn’t considerate and when I came to her about one of my coworkers slinging racial slurs every shift, she dismissed me every time. She also dismissed me when I told her 3 weeks ahead of time that I wanted 3 days off to visit my sick grandma who had covid at the time. The day of my last shift I (in teenager fashion) drew d***s on the walls of the building (with sharpie!) I worked in so all of the moms came in and asked to speak to the manager about the penises on the walls.
Image credits: mcheehee
#31
I really can't remember the root password anymore.
Image credits: thecapitalistpunk
#32
Oh I have a great one for this.2.5 years ago, my company decided to dock my bonus by 50% because of the “pandemic”. I was the only one in a sales team of 40 that achieved his target.
Didn’t say a word to anyone. Just filled out an exit form on the HRM software and mentioned the reason as “Company stole my money while the CEO bought a brand new car”.
My manager calls me being the a*****e that he thought he was and I told him, very calmly, “Shri you’re just their guard dog. I don’t talk to dogs”.
The CEO calls me (small firm. Just 50 odd people) and starts to tell me how his personal life has nothing to do with my docked bonus. Told him he can “go ride that car into a canyon for all I care”
An hour later he calls me from another number since I wasn’t picking up his calls. On the other end was a coworker in conference telling me how great the CEO was. How he gave him an advance on his payment when he needed it.
This was followed by 2 minutes of me and my gf laughing loudly on the call and talking about how this was so pathetic. As if I’m a girl who has broken up with him and he calls with his friend to tell me how he’s the best guy ever.
It finally ended with the CEO speaking up and revealing that he was also on the call and could hear us and my last words were, “Oh that’s great. I was worried you wouldn’t realise what a b***h you were being.”
Never dealt with them again. Started my own business. Making my monthly salary in about a week.
#33
I was working as an English teacher thru student contract. Boss decided to fire me just because other teacher found me annoying and was gossiping s**t about me constantly and boss just ate it all up.She ends up telling me that I suck at the job and I'm fired, but I will have to work for another week AND cover extra classes for a sick teacher as a substitute.
I said okay, then the next day sent the boss a text half an hour before my classes that I don't think it's okay for me to work for another week, I don't want to ruin children's education with my s****y teaching skills, it's just morally wrong for me, and I don't have to work for an extra week anyway since student contract tells me I can leave when I want. She was fuming.
After that, I sent an e-mail to the school's director explaining mobbing I've experienced with that awful colleague, saying how she doesn't deserve the position and sent her screenshots of abusive messages she was sending me.
Stay toxic
Image credits: wendyleila
#34
lost him a big deal with another company by walking away at a critical moment. in fact, I walked right to the arcade across the street
Image credits: ApprehensiveSkirt5
#35
Worked in China in a language training center. Left the country without informing anyone at work.Once I was out of China, I posted all the info I had about the benefits foreign workers were supposed to have but never had (tax reimbursement, pension savings, etc.) and how HR & Finance appropriated them in regional and local WeChat groups both in English and Chinese.
Also posted addresses of local government offices where foreign workers could inquire about the aforementioned benefits or complain about lack thereof.
Image credits: Gombock
#36
Applied for a full time job at a daycare. Interview was on Friday and the director said she would text me over the weekend to tell me my hours for next week. Yay! I got the job!Monday rolls around and no text or email from her so I am sitting in my pjs at home thinking I’m out of work. At 10am a random number calls me and she asks me to come in for 11. I let it slide thinking she lost track of time or whatever.
By the end of the day I asked for my schedule and she said she’ll contact me tomorrow morning at 9am. The next day is the same thing, except this time she calls at 11am asking to come in for 11:15!!!!! I waited TWO hours for her call. Now I have no car and live 15 minutes away. On top of this the shifts were only 4ish hours long, so the job isn’t even full time. I tell her I need a schedule by the end of the day. Didn’t get one.
The next day she calls at a random time but too late, I’m busy at an interview with a different job! I tell her I’ll stop in to get my cheque by the end of the week because she can’t respect my time and lied on the ad about being full time. Also I am not getting paid to be on call.
Image credits: dcdcdani
#37
Worked at a stupid fake French cafe & the manager was an idiot who made a point of giving me the sh**tiest jobs just to show he was in charge. One day he pulled me off the floor (where I earned tips as a server) and made me polish silver for hours. He kept returning & throwing every second piece back at me, telling me to do it over. Kept saying “missed a spot”.So I walked out . . . and kept the apron. I kept the beautiful black apron with the embroidered logo and still wear it when I cook today.
Also invoiced the owner for my outstanding pay & informed him his manager was not up for the job. Owner begged me to reconsider but I told him nope.
#38
I walked into his office before my shift started, told him "I quit." He says "You're giving your two weeks notice?", I said, looking at my watch, "I'm giving my ten minutes notice."#39
The last hour of my last day working there when I was asked to give my computer back I said „sure, just let me send my farewell EMail to everyone.“I did. In a polite way I thanked everyone for working together and being helpful etc. And then I asked everyone if they hear my team (meaning my boss) talking b******t about me they should judge it in the light of our good colaboration. Naturally I adressed the mail to my boss as well.
Then I handed him the computer.
His face was priceless, his attempt afterwards trying to make me like him by going for an afterwork beer was pain in the a*s.
source https://www.boredpanda.com/employees-final-burn-bad-boss/
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