11 Things Employees Complain About That Don’t Matter To Their Bosses At All
Sorry to say it, but your boss doesn't really care about certain things.
Mangostar / Shutterstock After finishing high school or college most people are eager to begin their career in the real world. No longer held back by late-night assignments or pesky discussion board posts, most people enter the workforce looking forward to a fulfilling career and decent pay in a job where they feel heard and supported. Unfortunately, these high hopes often go straight down the drain as they slowly begin to realize how little their bosses care and that, in fact, there are several things employees complain about that don't matter to their bosses at all.
Many people continue to work hard in the hope that things will magically getting better. But if you've complained about one of these things, it's safe to say your boss probably won't do much to improve the situation.
These are 11 things employees complain about that don't matter to their boss at all
1. Parking availability
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The first thing employees complain about that doesn't matter to their bosses at all is parking availability. If anyone's ever had the misfortune of working for a relatively large corporation in a big city, they know how terrible parking can be. From cramped parking spaces to no parking space, employees are often left to walk miles because they have to park their cars someplace else.
As most people can imagine, this long trek to the office can make just about anyone lose their temper. Unfortunately, most bosses do little to help with the matter. While CEOs invest in nonsensical things like pool tables or quiet rooms, employees truly need more convenience.
According to the Pew Research Center, human beings prefer convenience. So, while an additional coffee table or lunch coupon is much appreciated, finding ways to make parking feel less like the Hunger Games is more important for most employees. Unfortunately for them, most bosses don't truly care about the matter — no matter how much their employees complain.
2. No paid family or medical leave
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From helping grandma going to the hospital to mothers giving birth, there are plenty of reasons why someone might need to take time off. Whether it's because there's a family emergency or because someone had too much fun and slipped down the stairs, taking time to heal emotionally and physically is important.
Like it or not, mental and physical health are important considerations for any workplace. According to a study in 2022, poor mental health is associated with poor productivity. Despite this fact, sufficient paid time off isn't guaranteed in the United States. According to the Center for American Progress, federal law doesn't guarantee workers a single day paid off.
This is why so many people in America complain to their bosses about needing time off. Yet, as most Americans know, something employees complain about that doesn't matter to their bosses at all is not having enough paid family or medical leave. But as important as it is to attend to life matters, many bosses don't care enough to afford their employees the opportunity to focus on what's most important. If it doesn't involve working, then a simple FaceTime to grandma will have to suffice.
3. Limited opportunities for promotions
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Another thing employees complain about that doesn't matter to their bosses at all is limited promotion opportunities. It's unfortunate, but employees might dedicate half of their lives to one job and only climb the ladder a few steps. From working late nights at the office to missing out on important events just to get a promotion, employees may be willing to go out of their way to show their bosses how dedicated they are and still get nowhere.
According to the ADP research, employers promoted 13 people for every 200 who worked throughout the full year in 2019. With this in mind, younger generations have stopped caring and are often labeled lazy. However, when taking a look at the older generations, it's not hard to see why. People are done working hard with little hope for promotion, which is why many bosses struggle to find dedicated and loyal employees.
4. Short lunch breaks
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Listen, the whole thirty-minute lunch break has got to go. Employees spend eight hours a day working hard to meet goals and finish their work on time. Some employees can attest to the fact that they don't even use the restroom that much because they're out there working hard. So, if an employee needs to take an extra fifteen minutes to finish their Subway sandwich, by all means, bosses should let them.
According to a study published in 2016, employees who take breaks are more productive and creative. Unfortunately, as most employees know, some bosses can't help but knock on their windows the second they either go over their allotted break time. This is why it's not shocking that another thing employees complain about that doesn't matter to their bosses at all is short lunch breaks.
Thirty minutes simply isn't enough. After spending hours working straight through, at the minimum, employees should be afforded either a longer lunch break or another short break throughout the day. From needing to grab something to eat to filling up their water bottle, to using the bathroom, to simply screaming into the void after dealing with rude customers, bosses should allow their employees more time to recover, otherwise, their ability to focus and be productive might just take a turn for the worst.
5. No recognition or reward for hard work
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There are plenty of employees out there who are willing to go above and beyond for their bosses. From staying in the late hours to turning their work in early, back in the day, there's nothing employees wouldn't do for their bosses to show company loyalty. However, that has changed in recent years.
The newer generation has emerged and with that, they aren't up to working for the fun of it. This is why a thing employees complain about that doesn't matter to their bosses at all is not receiving recognition or being rewarded for their hard work.
It wouldn't hurt bosses to say good job here's a small reward after noticing how hard a particular employee has been working. But unless it's the holidays then most employees know not to expect any additional recognition or reward beyond the bare minimum. However, this is bad as employees' performance can quickly take a turn for the worse without proper motivation.
According to a study in 2023, work motivation plays a huge role in employee productivity and effectiveness. So, as much as bosses don't care, if they truly want their employees to keep up the good work then proper recognition and small rewards are a must, otherwise, bosses can kiss their valuable employees' talent goodbye.
6. Poor work-life balance
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The next thing employees complain about that doesn't matter to their bosses at all is poor work-life balance. What happened to going home when the clock struck five o'clock? Let's face it: the age of staying into the late hours has taken hold of the corporate world.
Now, employees can expect to go home not when their shift ends, but when their work is done. On the surface, this might not sound like a huge deal. After all, everyone has responsibilities they must complete in a day, right? However, there are certain responsibilities that people can't complete for many reasons. From needing additional information to needing to pick up their kids on time, sometimes, work has to wait until the next work day.
Despite this fact, many bosses simply don't care. They'll demand that their employees sacrifice their work-life balance or else they'll be fired. And in a marketplace in which jobs are getting increasingly harder to find, most people feel as if they have no choice but to suck it up. This might explain why the World Health Organization noted, "Further, the number of people working long hours is increasing, and currently stands at 9% of the total population globally."
Though it might not sound like a big deal, poor work-life balance often leads to burnout, impacting employees' performance for the worse. So, if a boss truly wants to keep their company running and make more money, they should ensure that their employee's work-life balance remains intact.
7. Lack of flexibility
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Many people are eager to work long hours if it means landing a job at any company. In need of experience, most young employees aren't afraid to stay after hours if they can make enough to live comfortably. However, after a while, the lack of flexibility can get a bit frustrating.
People have lives and obligations outside of work. From family health crises to having kids, a thing employees complain about that doesn't matter to their bosses is a lack of flexibility. Most people would be willing to sacrifice a small portion of their paycheck if it means they could come and go as they please or work remotely.
It's a different time and many people are willing to work odd hours to get their work done if it means they can carve out time to attend to what's most important to them. Unfortunately, most bosses are still stuck in the nine-to-five work week, which leads to many employees' misery.
This may explain why research in Henley Business School reported that 78% of employees feel happier and less stressed after changing to a four-day work week. So, while bosses might think that a normal work week is what they need to ensure their company's success, as it stands, flexibility is truly how their employee's productivity will increase.
8. Being micromanaged
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Everyone has had one absolutely unbearable job. From bosses hovering over their shoulders to monitoring their clock-in and clock-out time, one thing employees complain about that doesn't matter to their bosses at all is micromanagement in the workplace.
Bosses want to ensure that their employees are doing their job. In their eyes, their employees who have been there for years still can't be trusted and as a result, they must hover over their shoulders and critic every little thing they do in the name of perfection. Unfortunately for them, all this micromanaging does is bring employees one step closer to quitting.
Let's face it: nobody likes to feel as if they're under a microscope. So as good as the pay may be, what's even more important is work-life balance and mental health. According to a study published in 2022, poor work-life balance leads to worse health and an increase in stress. Knowing this, bosses should be careful not to be too overbearing.
While ensuring that people are doing their work is important, they don't need to bother them every hour to make sure they're doing their job. Looking to see if they finished their assignment at the end of the day is more than enough proof that someone did their job.
9. Excessive meetings
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There's no worse feeling than having to attend a meeting. Whether it's a thirty-minute meeting or worse, an hour-long meeting, meetings in general are all the same: draining. Let's face it: nobody wants to sit there while their boss rambles on about something that could've been sent in an email. Not only is it a waste of time on the boss's part, but it's valuable time spent away from doing work.
This is why a thing employees complain about that doesn't matter to their bosses at all is excessive meetings. Most bosses will rave about how important meeting once a week is. Yet, if it's so important, why do they repeat the same exact thing they said last week? As much as bosses hate to hear this, not everything needs to be a meeting.
If there's nothing worthwhile to update on then simply asking people to email progress updates or sending little updates is more than enough. Unfortunately for employees, bosses don't care how efficient it'll be. As long as they feel it's important, most bosses refuse to care how much of a hindrance unnecessary and excessive meetings can be.
10. Unreasonable expectations
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When people are welcomed into their jobs there are often expectations that they are given before even starting. Whether it's a certain goal they must meet every week or certain tasks they must complete daily, these expectations are typically reasonable and expected. So, why is it that the longer someone works at a company the more unreasonable expectations are placed upon them?
It's unfair, but many employees know how it feels to have tight deadlines or to feel overworked. Sure, it's upsetting, but no matter how hard they complain that doesn't matter to their bosses. If they aren't meeting these unrealistic and time-consuming expectations then they can pretty much kiss their entire job goodbye.
Now, in normal circumstances, this wouldn't be a huge deal. Yet considering how hard it is to find work nowadays, most people feel as if they have no choice but to meet these demanding deadlines even if it actively drains them in the process. Still, people can only handle so much and if they're constantly stressed and overworked then unfortunately, it might impact their overall health for the worse.
11. Taking on work outside their job description
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Finally, the last thing employees complain about that doesn't matter to their bosses is taking on work outside their job description. Almost everyone has been in that awkward position before. They originally came to fulfill a specific role only to have to fill in for multiple roles.
At the start, most people don't mind as they view it as temporary. However, as the work piles up and people become increasingly burned out and underpaid, this is when the complaints start coming in. They aren't getting paid extra to do this work. On top of that, they aren't even being acknowledged let alone rewarded for all their hard work.
So, while bosses might brush their employee's concerns to the side, it's best to take them seriously. While people don't mind helping out periodically, taking for granted or over piling outside of their job description is bound to end in disaster, causing an otherwise valuable employee to quit as they gain the experience necessary to do better for themselves.
Marielisa Reyes is a writer with a bachelor's degree in psychology who covers self-help, relationships, career, family, and astrology topics.
