It doesn’t take a lot to ruin a good thing. Or any thing, for that matter. A single bad managerial figure can destroy a good vibe at any workplace and also potentially scar you for life in more ways than one. But, believe it or not, bad bosses aren’t all that common.

Contrary to what r/AntiWork leads many to believe, bad bosses are actually in the minority. Depending on how you approach it, it’s roughly 13% of employees who reflect on their bosses as being truly sucky. Mostly in Europe. So, where are all the good guy bosses at? This list, of course!

Scroll down to check out some of the most gosh-darn brilliant examples of bosses out there, as shared by happy employees across the internet.

#1 Standing Up To Karens! I Wish More Businesses Backed Their Staff This Way

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#2 What A Lovely Morning Surprise From My Bosses

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#3 My Boss Is A Gem And Leaves Snacks And Drinks For Delivery Drivers

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So, what’s a good boss? Funny enough, explaining what a bad boss is first is the easier task. Brace yourself as it’s about to get super crunchy (get it, because numbers and facts?).

The tl;dr explanation is that a bad boss is any managerial persona who’s confrontational, unkind, unaccommodating, or unmotivated. This can manifest in a number of ways: lack of leadership skill, use for micromanagement tactics, and exceedingly high demands for employees, just to name a few.

This is besides lacking any sort of positive human qualities, thus prompting for hostility, avoiding providing help where needed and just being flat out disrespectful. And then morale plummets, employee turnover skyrockets, productivity tanks, and the negative Glassdoor reviews start piling in, culminating into a cluster-truck of trouble for the company.

#4 My Boss Handed Me My Paycheck With This Included. He Continually Goes Above And Beyond For Me, And I’ve Only Been Employed With Him For Just Under A Year. He’s A Good Man

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#5 Our Boss Makes Us Breakfast Every Wednesday Without Fail. It Really Helps With The Morale

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#6 Amazing Boss

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Now, there are ways of dealing with poor management. Mostly, it’s tackling the issue head on and working together to fix it. This involves taking notes and recording (within legal limits) the actions and behaviors that need correction, consulting with fellow employees, and approaching the supervisor directly, either with or without an HR (though the former is recommended).

Ideally, the use of “proper channels” makes sure that everything is civil and it provides the manager with a chance to explain themselves. By proxy, talking through an issue can determine who is at fault (if any) and identify ways to rectify it. A learning experience all around.

#7 I Had Mentioned That We Were Having Financial Difficulties At Work To My Boss. I Didn’t Expect This At All And Almost Went Full Cry Mode At Work

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#8 My Boss Being A Total Bro About Spending Time With A Family

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#9 I Had To Quit My Delivery Job Today Due To Depression, And This Is How My Manager Responded

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So, 13%. A 2018 study done by the Institute of Labor Economics dove deep into how common bad bosses are in a discussion paper series of theirs. The need for the study arose for a number of reasons. Most notably, it was the increasingly common media and movie representation of bad bosses, the Peter Principle (whereby managers were often promoted to positions one level above their realistic aptitude) and the more recent concerns of stress and psychological ill-health in workplaces.

The study also premises its research with a number of factors. A key aspect was that supers, managers and the like exert a great deal of power in the workplace, and this has a significant impact (either positive or negative) on employees and the way the company operates. This includes direct correlation with performance and results.

#10 My Dog Goes To Work With Me Every Day And My Bosses Gave Him A Christmas Bonus

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#11 I Have To Work On Christmas Day, So My Employer Has Given Everyone Who’s Working Today A Christmas Hamper With Goods

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#12 My Girlfriend Just Received This Email From Her Boss. She Works At A Grocery Store And They Are Taking Care Of Her In The Midst Of Coronavirus

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The key demographic of the study was Europe, though data sets and descriptive stats were given for the USA as well.

Bosses were classified as bad if the net score was negative across seven categories scored by workers: feedback, respect, praise and recognition, help getting the job done, support for individual development, successful team-working, and one who helps and supports.

#13 My Boss Sent These Cookies To Me During The Lockdown

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#14 I Confided In My New Manager How Much I’m Struggling Mentally With My New Job. I Also Commented On How Much I Loved Her Pin Badges. This Was On My Desk This Morning

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#15 Wholesome Boss

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Around 13% of all employees in the survey were actually working under what the survey would consider a genuinely bad boss. This was actually lower than some of the extreme convictions brought about by other, similar studies and polls of the time. Funny enough, 13% of employees also gave their bosses a perfect score.

According to the study, the most bad-boss-laden industries were transportation (a bit above 17%), manufacturing (16%), and human health and social work activities (nearly 15%). Runners up include agriculture, admin and support services, hospitality and food service industries, wholesale and retail, among many others.

#16 I Was Having A Rough Day At Work So My Manager Brought Me A Bouquet

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#17 Getting Positive Feedback From My Boss Validates Years Of Hard Work. Kindness And Appreciation Allow One To Achieve Even More

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#18 When You Stayed Behind At Work, And Your Boss Nicks A Bun From The Bosses’ Break Room For You As A Thanks

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So, let’s circle back to what is a good boss? The same ILE study provided a dead giveaway, actually: it’s a boss who gives useful feedback, is helpful in getting a job done, respects workers as people, encourages development, gives praise and recognition, is successful in team work, and helps and supports employees.

PeopleHum adds to this by also suggesting other lesser-practiced, yet still significant aspects. You know, having a plan (a clear vision) on how work will be done, communicating expectations, treating his employees like equals (horizontal hierarchy), and making work fun. Team building, events and activities, snack giveaways, that sort of thing.

#19 My Boss Cured And Smoked Some Meat For Him And His Family. He Gave Me This Today At Work. What A Legend

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#20 I Work At Construction, And My Boss Gave Another Meat Platter This Year In Time For The Holidays

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#21 My Boss Encouraged Me To Paint At Work Since It’s Been So Quiet

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But if you need an even more digestible version of what is a good boss, hey, you’re scrolling this list! Absolutely meta, we know, but the employees are real, the bosses are real, and the goodness you’re feeling right now—yep, real too!

The overarching theme that is the beauty behind all of these good boss posts is that they were all done in very simple ways. Just think about it: one boss makes breakfast for his team every Wednesday, which has amazing potential for team building; another boss sent a thank you letter, acknowledging all of the hard work the employee did, which is just plain nice; heck, just straight up giving money is always a nice gesture, and the kind words add volumes to it.

#22 My Boss Gave My Coworker A New Monitor. He Didn’t Get Caught Doing Anything, He’s Just Blind As Hell

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#23 I’ve Been Out Sick For 2 Weeks. Conversation With My Boss. Just Wanted To Share This Post To Cancel Out Some Of The Ones I’ve Seen Lately

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#24 My Boss Mailed Me This After Two Years At My Newest Job. Complete 180 From The Last Job I Was At

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And just violence begets violence, it works the same way with being nice, kind and caring. If your boss is good to you, be good back!

Management values employees who show dedication and commitment, perform their tasks reliably and with confidence, and don’t shy away from teamwork all the while being able to work independently too. And whipping out skills like critical thinking, self-awareness and self-improvement, and good interpersonal communication are always a good idea throughout the entire work process.

#25 My Awesome Boss Went To America For A Month. I Got A Month Off With A Pay, And She Brought Back These For Me

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#26 My Boss Surprised Me With A New Coffee Mug Today

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#27 This Canadian Toonie Ring My Boss Made For Me

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It’s naturally tempting to say “screw it” and quit a job on the spot when a rotten egg of a manager is in charge. But, again, civil code of conduct is the way to go and so laws of teamwork have to apply.

In other words, mutual respect between managers and employees leads to more willingness to offer support (both ways) and perform well. Both find reasons to do their best thus boosting productivity and collaboration, all the while pushing away the problems of absenteeism (unplanned absence from work) and employee turnover.

#28 I’m An Intern At A Fashion Magazine. My Boss Asked If I Liked Lipsticks And Handed Me A Bag Of Free Samples

All lipsticks were in different shades, but the brand was something like luxury lipstick. I only took 5 because I’m in an office full of ladies, but I did get in there first and got a good pick.

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#29 Food Retail Is A Nightmare At The Moment, But This Response From My Manager Is Perfect. Thanks, Boss, It Really Means A Lot To Me

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#30 My Boss Recently Rescued An Injured Hummingbird. It Loves Being Fed Sugar Water Through An Eye Dropper

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If you’ve enjoyed this list, then buckle up because this was part two. You can enjoy more great bosses, brought to you by Bored Panda, in part one of the series.

But before you do that, make sure to share your thoughts on anything or everything you’ve read here today. And if there’s a good boss story to tell, be sure to do so in the comment section below!

#31 My Boyfriend’s Boss Had This Helmet Made For Him While Working In Egypt

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#32 My Boss Stood By Me The Whole Time I Had Cancer Treatment, So For Christmas, I Made Him This

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#33 “Made Some Care Packages For The Employees. They Are Coming In From 12-2 To Pick Up, And Then We Are Going To Have A Movie Night Tonight On Netflix Party”

My old boss made care packages for his employees since they were closed. He truly cares about his workers!

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#34 My Boss Gets It

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#35 My Dad’s Old Office Manager (Who Moved Away Years Ago) Still Remembers To Send Me A Birthday Card. People Like This Are A Gift From The God

“Happy (belated) Birthday, Caeden. P.S. Please tell Caldan I’m sorry he didn’t get a birthday card from me. I had a hospital stay after a colonoscopy emergency, that threw my internal calendar off. Chips & Kim.

“Happy Birthday Wishes! We hope you have a great celebration with family & friends.”Happy Birthday, Wishes, We hope you have a great celebration with family & friends.”

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#36 Leaving My Job For Two Months Today To Play Music On The Road. This Is What My Boss Of 8 Years Gave Me As I Was Leaving

“You are always there when the chips are down, divorces, marriages, children, and sickness. You have always had my back. You are a stand-up guy. And I appreciate all your help over the years. Good Luck! Have fun, and let me know if you need anything. We will be here when you get back.”

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#37 I’m A Student Working For A Chain Of Sushi Restaurant. I Got A Gift Card From My Boss For New Years. I Probably Won’t Get To Eat Like This Until The Graduation

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#38 My Boss Gave Me This The Other Day. She Knows How I Feel About Halloween

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#39 I Busted My Paralegal Behind This Week. Turns Out The Boss Lady Did Notice. Just Got This Surprise Delivery From Instacart

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#40 I Reached Out To My Boss, Thinking My Request For Overtime Would Be Denied, Since I’m Still In My 90 Day Probation. This Was His Response

I recently had a kid, and have been struggling even with my new job that pays decently. I’m literally crying right now and know my boss cares enough to break rules to help.

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#41 My Boss Gave Free Clothes To People Who Lost Their Home

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#42 My Daughter Was Admitted To The Hospital Hours Before I Was Due To Leave On Work Travel. No Questions, My Boss Offered To Call The Hotel And Adjust My Reservation For Me

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#43 My Boss Got Me An Early Birthday Cake Delivered To The Office Today. Can’t Wait To Go Home And Dig In

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#44 This Is My Boss, Running Nearly A $200 Million Dollar Company, Emailing The Whole Company

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#45 My Awesome Boss

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#46 For All Of You With Incompetent Bosses I Apologize. This Was On My Desk When I Came In Today

“I know It’s been a long, tough week for all of you. Especially the guys who stayed late for patch Tuesday. Take an extra hour for lunch and enjoy.
-Chris R.”

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#47 This Boss, Who Was Also On The Same Page Of Self-Care And Mental Wellness

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#48 My Boss Leaving Notes On My Paychecks

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#49 At Work I’m Known For Being A Bit Of A Tea Freak, And For Christmas My Boss Got Me 2 Tins Of My Favorite Type And Brand Of Loose Leaf

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#50 My Manager Gave Me This Out Of Nowhere Today After Work

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#51 My Boss Stole My Car And Got My Tire Fixed Without Me Even Noticing

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#52 I Got This From My Boss At Work. I Don’t Think I’ve Ever Received Such A Positive Words From Anyone Else I’ve Ever Worked With

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#53 My Boss Covering For Me To Not Work At Another Store

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#54 My Job Sucks, But My Boss Is Great. This Type Of Communication At Work Is Very Refreshing

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#55 My Boss Is Paying For My Car Repair

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#56 My Managers Surprised Me With A Birthday Cake

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#57 I Had A Rough Day At Work Yesterday. My Boss Sent Me A Text This Morning

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#58 Got This Message From My Boss Today

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#59 I Had A Bit Of A Rough Day, But When I Came Into Work, I Saw These Sitting In The Back. It’s Not Much, But It Definitely Made Me Smile. I Love My Manager

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#60 My Boss On Every Single Bug I Fix

Even though I’m doing what I’m being paid for, but he still gives good vibes.

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#61 My First Day At Work. The Name Tag Had My Old Name, So My Boss Fixed It

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#62 I Finally Found A Great Job And A Greater Boss. Work Doesn’t Have To Be A Chore

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#63 I Was Running Late To Work And Texted My Boss. This Was His Response

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#64 My Boss Said I Was Her Hero. What An Incredible Compliment

“Happy Birthday, You are my hero! Love”

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#65 Cool Thing My Boss Started Doing

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#66 My Boss Ordered All This Toilet Paper For My Coworkers Who Ran Out While Walmart Is Out Of Stock

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#67 I Have Every Other Friday Off As My Normal Schedule. I Asked My Boss If I Could Swap Fridays And Didn’t Realize I’d Be Taking The Friday Off Before Labor Day

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#68 This Text From My Boss

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#69 Everyone In The Office Left Early Last Friday. Boss Came With A Box Of Goodies, And I Was The Only One Still Working. What A Jackpot

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#70 I Have Been Giving My Boss A Ride To And From Work For The Past 2 Days. I Found This On My Desk This Morning With Money Inside

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#71 I Got Into A Car Accident On The Way To Work Yesterday. Boss Reaffirmed Why He’s An Awesome Dude

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#72 Encouraging Email From My Boss

“Team-
Well, we’ve made it through one week! This has been (for some) an especially challenging week filled with difficult cases, late nights at work, stress, you name it.
I want you to know how proud you make me to be your leader.
I also want you to know that we are going to get through this challenge – we have risen above before and will do so again! I’m claiming success for each of us.
Please know that I have your back. You have my full support. So, I want to ensure you are taking the steps needed to care for yourself… as you are NO GOOD to anyone else (as a caregiver, as a social worker, as an RN Care Manager, or any other role) if you are not participating in self-care.
I expect that you are eating lunch. I expect that you are working hard during the day. I expect that you are leaving on time – and I encourage you to do so. We were telling some folks yesterday that you could work 24/7 at this job – and I know you know it’s true. Please set good boundaries for yourself. If you are working hard during the day to get things done and are leaving at 4:30/5 PM – don’t worry about what is left undone. Tomorrow is another day. If there are urgent issues, notify the on-call staff / leave a good handoff for the weekend or weekday – reach out to me. I’ll be happy to problem-solve with you. I’m here to support you. 
Happy Friday – and take good care of yourselves this weekend!”

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#73 My Boss Rushed Out To Get Me A Last Minute Birthday Present. He Came Back With This. I Was Not Disappointed

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#74 This Boss Who Appreciates His Staff

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#75 My Manager’s Response After Letting Him Know I Might Be Out Of Action For The Week

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#76 Today, I Got A $10,000 Quote On The Cost Of What Needs To Be Done To My Teeth. It Made Me Feel Even More Helpless. But My Boss Is Taking Care Of This For Me, Free Of Charge

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#77 I Started My Brand New Big Boy Job Today. This Is How My Boss Decorated My Desk. My Job Has Nothing To Do With Fish

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#78 A Boss Who Understands

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#79 Further Evidence That My Wife’s Boss Has A Sense Of Humor. This Is Her Christmas Card

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#80 Boss Just Handed Me This Bonus And Said: “Thanks For Working Over Christmas. I Know You Would’ve Rather Be With Your Family.” He’s The Best Boss I’ve Ever Had

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#81 Thanks To My New Boss Generosity, I Attended My First-Ever Baseball Game Last Night

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#82 My Boss Let Me Put Up A Pride Display At Our Library

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#83 After Months Of Anxiety, I Came Out To My Boss And Explained Who I Really Am. “All Will Be Ok, And You Will Be Supported” Words I Needed To Hear, And I Did

They also arranged therapy for me starting this week after I explained the GDC is still months away. I can’t stop smiling.

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#84 I Recently Had Issues With Ulcers. I Was Very Poor And Unable To Eat Enough, So I Passed Out Due To Malnourishment. However My Boss Surprised Me With This. I’m Very Grateful

“Eat, take care of yourself.”

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#85 Boss Saw Me Struggling To Multitask With The 17 Inch Monitor In My Office. Came Back And Gave Me Two 24 Inch LED Monitors. Coolest Boss Ever

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#86 Two Years Ago, My Boss Was One Of The First People I Came Out To As Trans. She’s Always Had My Back. Well, On Monday, I Came In To Work To This

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#87 I Stepped Out For Lunch, And One Of My Bosses Left This On My Desk

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#88 The Maui Hook My Boss Made

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#89 I Got A TV From My Boss At Our Company Party. I Was Kind Of In Shock

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#90 A Gift From My Dad’s Boss

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#91 My Boss And I Have Exchanged The Same Birthday Card For 6 Years

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#92 My Brand New Boss Gave Me The Keys To Her Apartment, So I Had Somewhere To Stay

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#93 It’s My Birthday, And My Patriot Boss Made This

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#94 Boss Bought The Office In-N-Out For Lunch

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#95 I Finally Found A Job, But My Contract Ends Soon, As Well As My Lease. I Need Permanent Proof Of Income For The Rental Apps, So I Reached Out To My Boss, And This Is What She Said

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#96 The Best Boss I Have Ever Had. No Issues Or Worries

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#97 My Boss Rewarded Us With A Huge Box Of Sweets

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Source: boredpanda.com