The Worst Bosses in the Universe!
20 April 2015
Read by 4590 persons
They were so tyrannical that they went down in history. These "worst bosses in the universe" will make you feel lucky about your own job.
Charles Boycott, the "father" of the boycott
This 19th-century British landowner was so hated by his community that he gave rise to the verb "to boycott." In 1880, an impending famine led Ireland's Land League to ask Charles Boycott to lower rents in his county by 25%. Faced with his refusal and eviction attempts, the peasants boycotted the harvest, forcing the landowner to call in British troops to harvest the crops. The ensuing confrontation cost the British Crown a fortune and established Charles Boycott as the hated boss at the origin of the name of this economic blockade.
George Pullman, the king of the detestable
In the 19th century, this American industrialist built an entire town where he housed the workers of his sleeping car factory. So far, so good... but Pullman cut his employees' salaries so drastically that they only had three or four cents left for food after paying their rent. Moreover, he only paid them in "Pullman Scrip" currency, usable only in his town. It is said that he also enjoyed "playing" with the residents, like an all-powerful God in the game The Sims.
The situation deteriorated so much that federal military troops had to be called in to quell the workers' strike of 1894. Upon Pullman's death, the authorities had to use a steel coffin buried under several tons of concrete, so much did they fear that the inhabitants would dig up the body to beat it "to death."
J. Edgar Hoover, FBI tyrant
Hoover was the first director of the FBI from 1932 to 1971, and probably the most feared and hated. His employees said that he always seemed on the verge of a murderous rampage. He kept his FBI employees on call 24/7 to do work in his house, like repairing his lawnmower. He wrote cryptic notes everywhere and apparently kept photos of Eleanor Roosevelt naked in his office. J. Edgar Hoover even pursued former employees he was jealous of and tried to destroy their post-FBI careers.
Jeff Bezos, Amazon CEO
The Amazon CEO received the inglorious title of "world's worst boss" from the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) in 2014. The charges against him? Amazon workers have to wear bracelets monitoring their every move and walk up to 24 km a day, without being able to stop to catch their breath or talk to each other. Ambulances are on standby outside the warehouses because exhaustion is so common. The ITUC even said of Jeff Bezos that he "represents the inhumanity of employers who encourage the American business model."
Dov Charney, the satyr of American Apparel
Born in Montreal in 1969, the founder of American Apparel became infamous for his provocative behavior. Fellatio during an interview, discrimination in hiring and abusive dismissals, it was said that he did not hesitate to publicly call his financial director a loser. He is accused of harassment and sexual assault by several people, including a former employee who confided that he had turned her into a sex slave. American Apparel ended up firing Dov Charney because he had become unmanageable, he who used to walk around the office in his underwear.
Audrey Neveu.
Workopolis.com
Published April 14, 2015.
Posted April 20, 2015.
Charles Boycott, the "father" of the boycott
This 19th-century British landowner was so hated by his community that he gave rise to the verb "to boycott." In 1880, an impending famine led Ireland's Land League to ask Charles Boycott to lower rents in his county by 25%. Faced with his refusal and eviction attempts, the peasants boycotted the harvest, forcing the landowner to call in British troops to harvest the crops. The ensuing confrontation cost the British Crown a fortune and established Charles Boycott as the hated boss at the origin of the name of this economic blockade.
George Pullman, the king of the detestable
In the 19th century, this American industrialist built an entire town where he housed the workers of his sleeping car factory. So far, so good... but Pullman cut his employees' salaries so drastically that they only had three or four cents left for food after paying their rent. Moreover, he only paid them in "Pullman Scrip" currency, usable only in his town. It is said that he also enjoyed "playing" with the residents, like an all-powerful God in the game The Sims.
The situation deteriorated so much that federal military troops had to be called in to quell the workers' strike of 1894. Upon Pullman's death, the authorities had to use a steel coffin buried under several tons of concrete, so much did they fear that the inhabitants would dig up the body to beat it "to death."
J. Edgar Hoover, FBI tyrant
Hoover was the first director of the FBI from 1932 to 1971, and probably the most feared and hated. His employees said that he always seemed on the verge of a murderous rampage. He kept his FBI employees on call 24/7 to do work in his house, like repairing his lawnmower. He wrote cryptic notes everywhere and apparently kept photos of Eleanor Roosevelt naked in his office. J. Edgar Hoover even pursued former employees he was jealous of and tried to destroy their post-FBI careers.
Jeff Bezos, Amazon CEO
The Amazon CEO received the inglorious title of "world's worst boss" from the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) in 2014. The charges against him? Amazon workers have to wear bracelets monitoring their every move and walk up to 24 km a day, without being able to stop to catch their breath or talk to each other. Ambulances are on standby outside the warehouses because exhaustion is so common. The ITUC even said of Jeff Bezos that he "represents the inhumanity of employers who encourage the American business model."
Dov Charney, the satyr of American Apparel
Born in Montreal in 1969, the founder of American Apparel became infamous for his provocative behavior. Fellatio during an interview, discrimination in hiring and abusive dismissals, it was said that he did not hesitate to publicly call his financial director a loser. He is accused of harassment and sexual assault by several people, including a former employee who confided that he had turned her into a sex slave. American Apparel ended up firing Dov Charney because he had become unmanageable, he who used to walk around the office in his underwear.
Audrey Neveu.
Workopolis.com
Published April 14, 2015.
Posted April 20, 2015.
