25 Horrible Bosses Quotes For When Your Supervisor Is Awful

By Clifton Sankofa | Published June 21, 2023

Check out our Horrible Bosses quotes and see why nobody likes working under ineffective supervisors.

Is working for an out-of-touch boss got you down?

Cheer up because our Horrible Bosses quotes are bound to make you smile.

Check out our Horrible Bosses quotes below.

What is a horrible boss?

A horrible boss is someone who is in charge at work and does a poor job.

Horrible Bosses is a hilarious 2011 movie by Seth Gordon that stars Jamie Foxx, Jason Sudeikis, Jason Bateman, Colin Ferrell, and Charlie Day.

Check out these interesting Horrible Bosses facts:

The car chase at the movie’s end did not use stunt actors.
Horrible Bosses was inspired by the 1951 film, Strangers on a Train.
Many of the conversations between characters were improvised by the actors.

What makes a boss horrible?

It is uncommon to make it through life without coming across an ineffective manager at work.

So what exactly is a bad boss?

In polls nationwide, employees were asked to name the worst characteristics of a terrible boss.

The most popular response was micromanagement.

Micromanagers are ineffective because they do not give staff the time, autonomy, or space to perform their tasks.

These bosses demand constant updates that delay work and make the job more tedious.

Research has proven that micromanaging quells creativity and takes a toll on productivity.

Employees who struggle to find meaning or joy at work tend to perform poorly.

The constant need to check and recheck employee progress conveys a lack of trust and causes anxiety.

What is the best way to deal with a horrible boss?

Trust is vital in any relationship.

Finding an effective way to share updates and progress checks means meeting each other halfway.

Once an agreement is reached, sticking to it allows for the employee and manager to concern themselves with other essential responsibilities.

Research shows that when managers provide staff autonomy and space, employees repay that trust by exceeding expectations.

Learn more with our Horrible Bosses quotes below.

Short Horrible Bosses quotes from Bobby Pellitt

Bobby is an ego-driven boss who always wants his way. Here are some of his best quotes.

1. “Kiss ass.” — Bobby Pellitt, Horrible Bosses

2. “You’re three hours late. What’s the deal?” — Bobby Pellitt, Horrible Bosses

3. “Please. I’ve seen gay boys. You’re one of them.” — Bobby Pellitt, Horrible Bosses

4. “You know what, I don’t hear you giving dickskin any s***.” — Bobby Pellitt, Horrible Bosses

5. “Uh huh. Well, maybe that excuse would have flown when my dad was here, but I’m in charge now.” — Bobby Pellitt, Horrible Bosses

The best Horrible Bosses quotes from Kurt Buckman

Kurt is the type of boss who would be glad his quotes made this list.

6. “Oh s***. I broke a rock.” — Kurt Buckman, Horrible Bosses

7. “Technically, I think it’s immoral not to kill him.” — Kurt Buckman, Horrible Bosses

8. “I’d like to bend her over a barrel and show her the 50 states.” — Kurt Buckman, Horrible Bosses

9. “Your father told me very clearly that he would rather die than save money and hurt people.” — Kurt Buckman, Horrible Bosses

10. “C’mon. Let’s do this. Think about Gam-Gam. Wouldn’t she want her favorite grandson to be happy?” — Kurt Buckman, Horrible Bosses

The top Horrible Bosses quotes from Dale Arbus

11. “Why would you put his whole bathroom in your ass?” — Dale Arbus, Horrible Bosses

12. “What is “deliberately” undressed? You accidentally get undressed?” — Dale Arbus, Horrible Bosses

13. “No one’s going to pay you to be a husband unless you marry Oprah.” — Dale Arbus, Horrible Bosses

14. “This is what’s gonna happen. I’m going to take a two-week-long, very expensive holiday with my fiancee. Let’s call it a honeymoon.” — Dale Arbus, Horrible Bosses

15. “I don’t have money for a lawyer, okay? I bought a very expensive ring that I can’t afford; then I gave the rest of my motherf***ing money to Motherf***er Jones.” — Dale Arbus, Horrible Bosses