Ideally, a workplace should be a place where employees can focus and get their work done without feeling self-conscious or judged for things they can’t control like their gender. Unfortunately, that isn’t always the case.
Many women have felt uncomfortable at work due to sexual harassment. Other times, they feel uncomfortable because of rude, insulting comments from their employer.
Reddit user BayAreaDreamer asked, “What is the most insulting thing a boss has ever said to you?” The answers are shocking and sad. Hopefully you have never had an employer say anything like any of these comments to you.
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“Man Up a Little”
Reddit user pablo_284 wrote:
My girlfriend had a miscarriage last year at 6 months, she stayed at home after that for two weeks because she wasn’t feeling good. When she came back her boss told her to man up a little, that it isn’t a reason to stay at home…
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“Clucking Hens”
guttertrash_fire shared:
I was sitting at a table in the dining area and all but one person at that table were women. It’s the first time I’d ever had the opportunity to sit at a table full of women and I was very excited to not be a token for once.Boss walked by, shaking his head, “bunch of clucking hens” Every single day for years I’d said nothing about being the only woman or being in a very small minority. Eating all my meals every day with all men, the lounge was full of men, everywhere you went it was groups of men. Then women had the audacity to sit in close proximity and without even knowing what we were discussing, we were immediately written off?
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Way Too Inappropriate
middayfirework explained:
In 2004 or 5 a boss asked me if my partner and I had had sex the night before and what were are most frequently chosen sex positions. It was out of nowhere and in front of three other employees.Other women had problems with him and complained about him to each other. I decided to talk to my line manager about this and all the other female employees denied he had ever said anything that made them uncomfortable or that they disliked it. I was more disappointed in my coworkers letting me take the fall in truth. Though I understand their need to keep their jobs and not rock the boat.
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Just Did What She Was Told
theycallmelulus answered:
Back when I was interning for a PR company, one of my male supervisors told me to forward some contracts to a magazine we were working with. I did as I was told, only to be yelled at by my boss for doing it. He then calmed himself down and said ”women can’t think rationally anyway, I overreacted”. My supervisor pretended like he had nothing to do with it.
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Not Into Tattoos
she-huulk wrote:
“If I’d known you had tattoos, I probably wouldn’t have hired you”
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Switch Careers
GradualDecomp shared:
My first job in my chosen career after college didn’t go well. I was very open during my interview that even though I had a relevant degree, I was still very much a beginner in the field and required training. I got the job and was totally let loose without much guidance and zero training. I did my best, but made two pretty big mistakes. When I was getting fired, my boss told me I should give up in that field and consider a different career.I was pretty butthurt by that, considering I had been requesting training the entire time I was employed there and never received it. I moved on to a different workplace that was willing to train, and excelled. 7 years later and I’m now a respected professional in the field.
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Replaceable
joedrums8a answered:
“You have no idea how replaceable you are.”
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Fashion Advice
lost-midwesterner explained:
I had a boss who decided, in front of everyone in the office, to give me “fashion advice”. She said that I had great legs and that if I wore shorter skirts with heels, I would get more people asking for my classes. She also said that I should wear make-up daily, because although I looked good without it, it made me more desirable. Being desirable was more important to getting clients than teaching classes well.
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How Dare You Take a Day Off
Another Reddit user wrote:
She called me to go to work on my day off, which she did a lot and I often went in, but when I politely told her I was too busy to go (for the first time) she raised her voice and demanded to know what I’m planning to do all day because it was semester break and she knew I didnt have classes. As if she caught me lying or something and boy was I in trouble now. I wish I had just told her what I really thought of her bc I quit not long after that.
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Get Used to It
zkittles21 shared:
“Since you’re good at your job you’re just going to have to get used to people using you. Stop being stressed out when people put too much on your plate.” the supervisor that told me this then proceeded to have a break down the next week crying to her higher up saying she’s tired of everyone using her and needing her so she needs time off.
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“You’ve Got the Body for It”
UniversalCrown answered:
I used to work as a barista and my boss literally said to me, “no wonder you get more tips, you’ve got the body for it” and then looked at my boobs. I felt really gross the rest of the day. It made me super self-conscious about the t-shirts I wear.
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“You Don’t Have Brains”
madisonpreggers shared:
I worked for a chain restaurant where the manager not only sucked at his job, he was just a bad person. I’d been there for maybe a year so he should have known me well; i was married and probably my junior year of school. Well he told me once when he was drunk on the job (again) he said something like “since you don’t have brains to be in school, you’d think you’d have more luck with guys.”
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Please Be Kind to Pregnant Women
LJ1205E explained:
I was 8 months pregnant and I walked into the office and my boss said, “wow! I can’t tell if you’re coming or going.” Meaning I was so round all the way around. I just found it very offensive and insulting.
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2nd Hottest Woman
exyxnx answered:
I once had the boss of my boss tell me, in front of most of my colleagues, to bring a cup of water to the partners into his office, because “the hottest woman of the office is out, and you’re second on that list”.The water fountain was literally on his way from his office to my desk. Also, I am an IT specialist, and the entire firm was reliant on the job I (and the few other IT consultants of the firm) was doing. “Hottest woman” was the secretary, who was sleeping with a higher up, barely worked an hour or two a day, and made more than I did.
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The Job but Not on Paper
twizzlersontoast wrote:
I’m giving you the job, but I’m giving this other person who I’ve worked with for many years your job’s title on paper so she can get the higher salary.