Bad Bosses:

"Bad bosses are a dime a dozen," to quote an old cliche. During my sixty years in the work field I have seen most every kind there is, from the thief to the tyrant. I have worked for the same company for twenty two year and watched over thirty managers come and go. Some were good, but most had no business at the job site. Most of the managers that I am referring to are in the lower echelon, although I have met some of those higher up. Occasionally a few hang in there for a while, before getting weeded out.

This is a fable about one of my encounters with a bad manager when I landed employment at a certain discount store as a professional auto technician. The manager who hired me was doing a good job. The reason he quit was unknown to me. The man who took his place was a radical tyrant without reservations for anyone.

I had worked there for two months and a young man had just started a few days before our tormentor came aboard. It was two weeks before Thanksgiving and my young friend asked the boss if it was possible to have the holiday off, because some of his out of state family was coming. The answer he got was, "no, if you want that day off, you'll have to quit." I was upset for the boy, but I was also scheduled to work that day. The kid did work, this was his first job.

When I took this job I had put my applications in at several business. One was at a Ford agency. I received a call from that company. I was told that they were not hiring at this time, but an opening for a mechanic was available at a prominent car rental facility. I went to that shop before my starting time at the discount store the following day.

I spoke with a friendly shop manager who already had my application. It seems that the man at the Ford dealer who called me, was the brother-in-law of this man. I was told that the job was mine if I wanted it. The pay and working conditions were far better than what I had. I agreed to start the following Monday as I wanted to give my present boss a weeks notice.

When I went to work that afternoon I told Mr. Know-it-all that I would be quitting at the end of the week. He asked what I was going to do. I told him that I had been offered another job. He became argumentative and insulting, telling me that I couldn't hold down another job. He wanted to know who would hire me. I told him and I told him that it was for more money than I was making now. He said, "You mean you aren't going to work on the week end for me?" I told him he was right. He said, "You might as well quit right now then." I said, "Okay" with a smile and slammed down the lid on my toolbox. He walked into the store.

I gathered all of my belongings and loaded them into the back of my truck. I then went into the store to check out. He said that my check would be ready tomorrow. Then he informed me that he could not give me a good recommendation. I relayed back to him that I didn't need it. I already had the job. He wanted to know how much I would be making there. When I told him, he said, "I don't believe that." I said "Its true, and I don't care what you believe."

I called my future boss and explained that my manager did not take my quitting very well and might call him. He said it didn't matter. I could start tomorrow if I cared to. I needed the time to get organized at home so I started the following week. A year later I was one of the working foremen and that lasted for twenty two years.

Oh, three weeks after I quit the department store, I returned and purchased four new tires for my truck and paid the boss in cash. It tickled me to see his somberness.

I .

Learn more about this author, Donald Courtney.
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