There are many different ways to be a good boss, but if your goal is to be a bad boss, it’s pretty clear what you have to do.
Taking credit for their underlings’ work is the worst of all bad-boss behaviors, according to a new survey of more than 1,200 full-time US workers, conducted by software company BambooHR. When asked to rank a list of odious managerial tendencies, 63% of respondents said hogging credit was unacceptable, or something they would consider worth quitting over.
Women were particularly offended by bosses wrongly taking credit—71% called it the worst behavior—and the habit seems more noxious the older you are. Workers over 60 were much more likely (77%) to find it offensive than workers under 30 (57%).
Other common behaviors are much more tolerable. More than half say its fine if their bosses don’t socialize with them out of work, and 64% say it’s ok if their bosses don’t friend them on social media.
Here’s BambooHR’s ranking of the 10 worst behaviors:
| Bad Boss Behavior | Percentage who call it unacceptable or a deal breaker |
|---|---|
| Your boss takes credit for your work | 63% |
| Your boss doesn’t trust or empower you | 62 |
| Your boss doesn’t care if you’re overworked | 58 |
| Your boss doesn’t advocate for you | 57 |
| Your boss hires and promotes the wrong people | 56 |
| Your boss doesn’t back you up | 55 |
| Your boss doesn’t provide proper direction | 54 |
| Your boss micromanages | 53 |
| Your boss focuses more on your weaknesses than strengths | 53 |
| Your boss doesn’t set clear expectations | 52 |
Almost 44% of the workers said they had quit a job because of a boss, and the most commonly cited explanations—the respondents could provide up to three reasons—were management style (37%), inappropriate behavior (26%), or harassment of employees (24%).
