# Annoying stuff my boss does **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 18, 2011, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-stuff-my-boss-does/593148 "2011-08-18T13:03:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![velvetjones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/5f9b8f/32.png) [@velvetjones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velvetjones)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-stuff-my-boss-does/593148/1 "2011-08-18T13:03:35Z")
He’ll receive an email. He wants me to respond to the email. Instead of forwarding the email to me with instructions, he prints a copy and scribbles all over it with a red sharpie (always a red sharpie) something like “please respond” or “can you look in to this”. Then he tapes it to my monitor so I’ll be sure to see it. Why, oh why doesn’t he just forward the email to me? It makes me want to scream. Also, when I email anyone on his behalf he always asks me to call them and make sure they received my email. I don’t do that, I let outlook send me a receipt that tells me when they read my email because I don’t need to be calling people to say “did you read my email” because it’s really stupid. He has a long, long, long list of other bad habits but those are my top two this morning. Anyone else got a boss that drives you crazy? ---
**Author:** ![Caricci](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/85f322/32.png) [@Caricci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caricci)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-stuff-my-boss-does/593148/2 "2011-08-18T13:08:58Z")
Is your boss an old guy? It seems like something an old guy would do. ---
**Author:** ![EvilTOJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee59a6/32.png) [@EvilTOJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilTOJ)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-stuff-my-boss-does/593148/3 "2011-08-18T13:09:05Z")
He’s old, right? Like in his 50’s, and thinks computers are just a fad, soon to die out any time now? I know the type. Mine used to be a mainframe operator. We still have the mainframe, but we do a lot more than be tape-apes now, and all the managers don’t seem to understand that. ---
**Author:** ![velvetjones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/5f9b8f/32.png) [@velvetjones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velvetjones)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-stuff-my-boss-does/593148/4 "2011-08-18T13:28:53Z")
He’s 47, younger than me. I think he doesn’t trust that his email will get through to me and he definitely doesn’t know how to ask for a receipt. ---
**Author:** ![Dahnlor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dahnlor/32/533_2.png) [@Dahnlor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dahnlor)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-stuff-my-boss-does/593148/5 "2011-08-18T13:42:51Z")
Maybe he’s afraid of using [Reply All](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beF0LTvbdfw) ---
**Author:** ![jonesj2205](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecc23a/32.png) [@jonesj2205](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jonesj2205)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-stuff-my-boss-does/593148/6 "2011-08-18T13:45:30Z")
I used to have a co-worker who if I asked for a copy of an email she’d print it out and fax it to me. ---
**Author:** ![velvetjones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/5f9b8f/32.png) [@velvetjones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velvetjones)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-stuff-my-boss-does/593148/7 "2011-08-18T13:57:17Z")
> [@jonesj2205](#): > > I used to have a co-worker who if I asked for a copy of an email she’d print it out and fax it to me. You win! ---
**Author:** ![tenacious\_j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/439d5e/32.png) [@tenacious\_j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tenacious_j)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-stuff-my-boss-does/593148/8 "2011-08-18T14:11:53Z")
I have a few colleagues who print out my spreadsheets, make notes by hand, then scan into a .pdf to email back. Then I have to enter all the comments manually. Not as bad as calling to confirm email receipt, but a major waste of my time. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-stuff-my-boss-does/593148/9 "2011-08-18T14:41:28Z")
> [@jonesj2205](#): > > I used to have a co-worker who if I asked for a copy of an email she’d print it out and fax it to me. You worked with Sheboss? On second thought, I’m not sure she knew how to send a fax. A Spanish ventriloquist, José Luis Moreno, had this routine with a puppet who’s a country bumpkin. The doll, Macario, would say something that was a huge simplification, the ventriloquist would berate him for it, then the following would ensue: Macario: why? JLM: well, it’s complicated, y/ Macario: then don’t explain it to me JLM: but it’s important! Macario: so explain it JLM: very well, just be patient as it will take a while Macario: then don’t explain it JLM: :smack: Sheboss, on the other hand, would produce dialogues like this: Sheboss: I don’t like this, I don’t understand it One of us: Oh, I’ll explain Sheboss: I don’t have time for explanations! 1: OK, so I won’t explain, but Sheboss: I want you to do things as I would! 1: How would you do this, then? Sheboss: I don’t know! You’re the expert! You have to know how to do it! 1: Uh, well, then, the way I do it is what’s documented there. Sheboss: But I don’t understand it! I don’t have time to read the document! _pant pant_ 1: Sooooo… I’ll explain? Sheboss: I DON’T WANT YOU TO EXPLAIN, I WANT YOU TO DO THINGS MY WAY! Is that so difficult to understand? Why don’t any of you ever understand anything? Ah yes, I’m so glad she’s my EX boss. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-stuff-my-boss-does/593148/10 "2011-08-18T19:00:19Z")
I had an assignment once where my bosses would walk past the photocopier to hand me one piece of paper to photocopy for them. Sure, photocopying was my job, and I did it with a smile on my face, but _you walked right past the photocopier with one piece of paper!_ I always suspected it was because they were afraid of the photocopier. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-stuff-my-boss-does/593148/11 "2011-08-18T19:15:31Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > I had an assignment once where my bosses would walk past the photocopier to hand me one piece of paper to photocopy for them. Sure, photocopying was my job, and I did it with a smile on my face, but _you walked right past the photocopier with one piece of paper!_ I always suspected it was because they were afraid of the photocopier. Mine will leave a clump of paperwork on my chair, with a post-it saying “Please see me regarding this.” I panic, thinking I did something wrong, and when I walk across the office to see him, it’s “Would you please make two copies of that”. WTF? “Please copy X2” is less writing to fit on a post-it, and he’d have the copies sooner. ---
**Author:** ![perfectparanoia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a5b964/32.png) [@perfectparanoia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/perfectparanoia)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-stuff-my-boss-does/593148/12 "2011-08-18T19:35:56Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > I had an assignment once where my bosses would walk past the photocopier to hand me one piece of paper to photocopy for them. Sure, photocopying was my job, and I did it with a smile on my face, but _you walked right past the photocopier with one piece of paper!_ I always suspected it was because they were afraid of the photocopier. This would be a good assumption. I know lots of people (predominantly male and older) who are certain that if they touch it, it will break. ---
**Author:** ![brittekland](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@brittekland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brittekland)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-stuff-my-boss-does/593148/13 "2011-08-18T20:01:11Z")
Our new replacement boss, who came in through the back door, scratched his ass all the time (that epitomized his-self very accurately)… mahbe hemorrhoid. So one day I had a brilliant idea (not) and I put a piece of white tape on the type “GL” of a glass cleaner spray can that read “GLASS CLEANER” on my desk that he used to clean his glasses everyday. Oh, he didn’t like that very much… in fact, he fired me soon after (for other asinine reasons). He was from St. Louis and I still don’t like St. Louis or Cardinals… and the same reason why I never considered Washington U… I know this is not rational but sometimes that’s how tis. ---
**Author:** ![moi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@moi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moi)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-stuff-my-boss-does/593148/14 "2011-08-18T22:16:14Z")
My big pet peeve w/ current boss is things taking 3 or more emails when 1 would have sufficed. Examples: 1. I forward an email about an appointment he asked me to set and ask if the date and time suggested work for him and where to set the meeting. He responds, “Yes, good.” Um, one of these things was **not** a yes-or-no question? Now I have to email him again, prompting for the info I asked for in my first email. Why??? 2. He sends me a list. There is no call to action nor any notification that this is just an FYI thing. In the past 72 hours, I’ve gotten 3 of these messages; 2 were FYI and 1 was something I had to act on. In all cases, I had to send multiple emails to figure this out. I swear I’m not writing convoluted or overly long emails, so I don’t get why this is so hard. Is there a medical disorder where someone can only see the first 5 words in an email, maybe?!! ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-stuff-my-boss-does/593148/15 "2011-08-18T22:49:53Z")
Crap. I’m the boss. :eek: I would actually love to know what it is I do that drives people who work for me crazy! How many of you relay your peeves to your boss? Can you? ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-stuff-my-boss-does/593148/16 "2011-08-18T23:41:46Z")
It is absolutely mind-boggling how prevalent it is that higher-ups on _IT projects_ can’t even use a fucking computer worth a damn. I’m sure this is far more likely in DC than Silicon Valley, but still… ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-stuff-my-boss-does/593148/17 "2011-08-19T01:36:17Z")
> [@teela\_brown](#): > > Mine will leave a clump of paperwork on my chair, with a post-it saying “Please see me regarding this.” I panic, thinking I did something wrong, and when I walk across the office to see him, it’s “Would you please make two copies of that”. > > WTF? “Please copy X2” is less writing to fit on a post-it, and he’d have the copies sooner. I always enjoy the post-it notes with directions on them or “Come see me” or whatever and no friggin’ clue who _left_ the note. If I can’t figure out what to do with the stuff left with the note and no clue who left it, it gets put to the side and I figure they’ll come around and get in touch with me if stuff doesn’t get done long enough. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Girlfriend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.girlfriend/32/193_2.png) [@Dr.Girlfriend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Girlfriend)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-stuff-my-boss-does/593148/18 "2011-08-19T02:12:23Z")
What is it with bosses and email? Some of my emails get cc’d to the general office email in case something urgent comes in while I’m out of the office. My boss can see that I am the primary recipient of these emails but still feels the need to forward them back to me anyways. So I get two copies of the same email. I’ve told her she really doesn’t need to do this, that one is plenty, but she continues to forward them. ---
**Author:** ![intuitive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e9c0ed/32.png) [@intuitive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/intuitive)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-stuff-my-boss-does/593148/19 "2011-08-19T04:03:15Z")
Try having a boss that you’ve worked for for 8 almost 9 years that’s stingy about giving you a raise. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-stuff-my-boss-does/593148/20 "2011-08-19T07:23:36Z")
> [@chiroptera](#): > > How many of you relay your peeves to your boss? Can you? When I can, I do, but if I can then it’s probably something minor like “hey, mind not using papers with any kind of reddish shade for the originals? The photocopier can’t see those” “any kind of red?” “yeah _holding samples_ red, pink, fuchsia, purple, the copier sees them all as ‘black’. We’ve got a color-blind copier!” I’ve actually had a lot more good bosses than bad ones. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-stuff-my-boss-does/593148.md?page=2)