Dealing with people like that can be super draining. I had this ‘boss’ once who was actually just a coworker. He loved to pick apart everything I did. When I stopped trying to go above and beyond and just worked at a pace that felt right to me, he got really annoyed. He acted like he had authority, saying our real boss sent him to nag about my ‘bad’ work.

Before I left, he made a big scene about being the best worker there and called everyone else terrible. He’d complain about me sitting down to do inventory and then sit down himself a minute later, just showing off his hypocrisy. If you called him out on anything, he’d sulk and be a pain for the whole day. It’s tough working with someone who’s both a bully and acts like they’re the victim. You never knew what mood he’d be in; if he was mad, he’d come in trying to make everyone else mad too, even yelling at his girlfriend on the phone and blasting music all over the warehouse.

And the drama never stopped with him, always bragging about how he never got help from anyone. But I’m like, you were fed as a baby, right? You had a roof over your head? He just seemed ungrateful. Someone needs to give him a wake-up call. The worst was my new manager never stepped in to stop him, and they both acted like I was the problem, making fun of me every day. I didn’t want to sink to their level, but sometimes you’ve got to stand up for yourself quietly, keep notes, and be ready if they push too far. Some people are just awful.