Gen Z Worker Tells Her Boss That He Terrifies Her Because They Haven’t Really Built A Relationship Yet
She was shocked by his response.
Hispanolistic / Canva Pro From grocery store employees to corporate executives, your boss can make or break your daily experience on the job.
Gen Z cashier, Opal Fay Spring, got candid about her own experience in a recent post on TikTok, admitting she directly called her boss “terrifying” after he failed to cultivate a relationship with her.
Without having a professional relationship with him at work, Spring admitted he had become intimating.
Spring called her boss ‘terrifying’ to his face, after admitting they hadn’t formed a relationship yet.
“I have PTSD and today I told my boss that he terrifies me," Spring confessed. "I literally used the words: ‘You terrify me.’”
While her job is typically pretty relaxed, Spring explained her boss ruins the “chill” energy by making everyone nervous when he comes in. With a cold and unapproachable energy, she described his daily routine as pacing around the front of the store and “monitoring” the work of the cashiers.
Spring said her boss often walks around their store with ‘intimidating’ energy, something he politely acknowledged when she confronted him.
“I get nervous. We haven’t really built a relationship yet,” she said. “So, when he walks around the store and doesn’t say anything, it’s kind of unnerving. Of course, that’s just the tip of the iceberg.”
Spring said she just straight-up told her boss that he was “terrifying” which was something everyone had been thinking, but nobody had the courage to say out loud.
“He actually took the feedback really well,” she revealed. “He said ‘Actually, that’s not the first time I’ve gotten feedback like that. I don’t try to come off like that, I’m just very introverted.”
For people who value connection, in-person conversations, and outward expressions of gratitude, introverted people can be mislabeled as off-putting or intimidating, especially in an environment like a workplace. So, it's not a shock that many of this boss' employees have similar feelings about his presence.
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Everyone is different and unique, but of course, being a boss and a leader, this man should be open to receiving that kind of feedback. Instead of shutting himself down, Spring said he took her blunt feedback seriously and admitted that it was something he was working on.
Her boss humbly took her feedback and Spring saw a marked difference in his behavior.
“Ever since I told my boss he terrifies me, he’s been trying so hard,” she explained.
From heartwarming interactions with stuffed animals to an overall bright presence, she was shocked by how much his behavior changed. Not only was work a more pleasant experience, but Spring felt like her boss genuinely valued her as an employee and as a person.
“It’s such a better look. He’s really trying to lighten up,” she added. “Today, somebody yelled at me… and he texted me to check in and ask if I was okay. I told him I was… that I only cried a little. He just said ‘Good,’ and to let him know if I needed anything.”
“It’s nice when you tell your boss that they terrify you and then they respond by having more welcoming and warm behavior. It’s so nice!”
Many employees working in toxic environments with power-hungry bosses aren't as lucky as Spring.
While it might almost seem like the bare minimum for someone who hasn’t had a bad boss before, the reality is that this kind of situation that is far from the norm. Being honest and straightforward with management can oftentimes backfire and make workplace dynamics worse.
Great bosses accept feedback. Even further than that, they welcome it and adopt it into their daily routines. However, bad bosses pretend to accept it and use it as a fuel for resentment, distrust, and toxicity in the workplace.
This unfortunate reality is known by many which is why Spring's experience was almost a shock. “I’m glad that it went well,” one commenter wrote. “Good for you for speaking up and telling him.”
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a news and entertainment writer at YourTango focusing on pop culture and human interest stories.