A toxic boss thrives on control, manipulation, and keeping employees in the dark.
They’ll say all the right things in meetings while doing the exact opposite behind the scenes. If people knew the truth about how they operate, they wouldn’t stick around for long. That’s why they do everything they can to keep these things hidden. After all, if you realised these important truths, you’d be updating your CV and handing in your notice in no time.
1. They don’t actually care about your well-being.
They might throw around words like “work-life balance” and “mental health support,” but when it comes down to it, they don’t actually care. As long as you’re getting the work done, your stress, exhaustion, or personal struggles aren’t their problem.
That’s why they’ll happily expect you to answer emails at all hours or work through your lunch break. They’ll pretend to be supportive when it’s convenient but will always put their own interests first. If your wellness conflicts with their goals, they’ll choose themselves every time.
2. They take credit for your hard work.
They love to act like they’re the reason for the company’s success, but in reality, they’re just riding on the efforts of their team. When things go well, they’re the first to step forward and take the praise. When things go wrong, they’ll be nowhere to be found.
They’ll use your ideas, take credit for projects you led, and make it seem like they did all the heavy lifting. If you’re waiting for recognition or appreciation, don’t hold your breath. The only time they’ll acknowledge your work is when they need something from you.
3. They’re keeping you underpaid on purpose.
If you’re underpaid, it’s probably not an accident. They know exactly what you’re worth but will do everything they can to avoid giving you a raise. The longer they can convince you to accept less, the better it is for them.
They’ll make excuses about budgets, tell you that you “just need to prove yourself a little longer,” or say they’ll “revisit the conversation next year.” Meanwhile, they’ll happily approve big spending elsewhere. Keeping you in the dark about your true value is their way of keeping you trapped.
4. They rely on fear to keep you in line.
A good boss motivates through leadership and respect — a toxic one relies on fear. They want you to feel insecure about your job so you don’t push back, ask for more, or question their decisions.
They’ll drop hints about layoffs, make you feel replaceable, or act as if they’re doing you a favour by keeping you around. They know that if you realised your own worth, you’d leave, so they keep you second-guessing yourself to maintain control.
5. They play favourites, and it’s not based on performance.
Hard work doesn’t always get rewarded in a toxic workplace — loyalty and flattery do. They’ll favour employees who stroke their ego, agree with everything they say, or make them look good, regardless of their actual contribution.
That’s why the most talented employees often get overlooked, while the ones who do the least get special treatment. It’s not about who works the hardest; it’s about who plays the game. If you’re not willing to feed their ego, don’t expect to get ahead.
6. They will never admit when they’re wrong.
Accountability is not in their vocabulary. If they make a mistake, they’ll either shift the blame onto someone else or pretend it never happened. Admitting they were wrong would mean losing control, and that’s something they refuse to do.
They expect employees to own up to their mistakes, but the same rules never apply to them. They’ll rewrite history, gaslight you into thinking you misunderstood, or simply refuse to acknowledge reality. In their mind, they’re always right, no matter how obvious the truth is.
7. They deliberately overload you with work.
They know you’re stretched too thin, but that’s exactly how they want it. Keeping you overwhelmed means you don’t have time to think about leaving, asking for a raise, or standing up for yourself.
Instead of hiring more people or redistributing tasks fairly, they’ll just keep piling on more work. If you say anything, they’ll act like you’re not committed enough or suggest that “everyone is busy.” The more burned out you are, the easier you are to control.
8. They don’t actually want you to grow.
A supportive boss will help you develop and move forward in your career. A toxic one will keep you in the same spot because they don’t want to lose a good worker. If they really wanted you to grow, they’d invest in your development, but they don’t.
That’s why they’ll block promotions, keep you from learning new skills, and make excuses when you ask for opportunities. They know that if you got better, you’d eventually outgrow them, and they can’t have that happening.
9. They love making you feel guilty for taking time off.
They’ll act supportive when you request time off, but when the time comes, they’ll make you feel terrible for actually using it. They’ll guilt-trip you about deadlines, hint that your absence is causing problems, or act like you’re being selfish.
They want you to feel like taking time for yourself is a burden on the team so that next time, you hesitate before asking. Meanwhile, they’ll have no problem taking time off whenever they feel like it.
10. They create unnecessary chaos to stay in control.
A well-run, organised workplace means employees feel confident and independent. A toxic boss doesn’t want that. They thrive on confusion, last-minute changes, and constantly shifting expectations because it keeps people on edge.
If things were too smooth, employees might start realising how poorly things are run. Keeping everything in a constant state of stress and unpredictability makes sure that no one has time to question their leadership.
11. They expect loyalty but don’t give it in return.
They want you to be dedicated, to sacrifice your time, and to go above and beyond for the company. But the moment it’s inconvenient for them, they’ll drop you without a second thought.
No matter how much effort you put in, they won’t hesitate to replace you if it benefits them. The idea of “we’re all a family here” is just a manipulation tactic — loyalty only works one way in their world.
12. They encourage competition instead of teamwork.
A toxic boss doesn’t want a strong, united team — they want employees who are too busy competing with each other to realise what’s really going on. They’ll pit people against each other, create unnecessary rivalries, and fuel drama.
As long as employees are busy fighting for their approval, they don’t notice how toxic the environment really is. Keeping people divided is just another way to maintain control.
13. They downplay your achievements to keep you from asking for more.
No matter how well you do, they’ll make it seem like it’s not a big deal. They don’t want you realising your own worth because that might mean you start expecting better treatment or higher pay.
Instead of celebrating your successes, they’ll act like it was expected, or worse, pick apart tiny things you could have done better. It’s all about keeping you from feeling confident enough to demand what you deserve.
14. They rely on gaslighting to avoid accountability.
If you call them out on their behaviour, they’ll twist the situation to make you doubt yourself. They’ll say you’re “misinterpreting things,” act like you’re overreacting, or claim they never said what you remember them saying.
They rely on making you question your own experiences so that you stop pushing back. The more they can make you doubt yourself, the easier you are to control.
15. They don’t want you to realise you can do better.
The biggest thing they don’t want you to know? You don’t have to put up with it. There are better jobs, better managers, and better workplaces out there — you just have to be willing to leave.
The longer they can convince you that this is normal, the longer they can keep you trapped. The moment you realise you deserve better is the moment their power over you starts to disappear.
