Christian Chapman, a 41-year-old mortgage underwriting trainer, likened his experience at Better.com's orientation to the excitement of a new relationship. Initially enthusiastic about the perks and mission of the company, Chapman and his colleagues cheered "LGTM!" which stood for "Let's Get That Money." However, Chapman began to notice warning signs, such as a profanity-laced rant from the CEO Vishal Garg during a video call. In a shocking move, Garg fired 900 employees, including Chapman, in a Zoom call that was recorded and shared online. Garg later apologized, but just over a week later, the company's board announced that the founder and chief executive would be taking a break from his role. Over the past two years, couches have served as offices and colleagues have communicated through instant messaging. The workforce, which had experienced sudden changes, has reevaluated how people should be treated in corporate environments. Angelina Darrisaw, CEO of C-Suite Coach, noted a decrease in tolerance for difficult bosses and an increase in interest for her executive coaching services last year. "You can't just wake up one day and start leading people," she stated. "Companies are now focusing on ensuring that our managers are properly trained to lead." The increased scrutiny of workplace behavior has followed years of public discussion about appropriate conduct in the office. The #MeToo movement led to numerous executives stepping down due to allegations of sexual misconduct. The Black Lives Matter protests, sparked by the death of George Floyd, caused corporate leaders to apologize for past discrimination and lack of diversity in their workforce, and commit to making changes. With the disruption of work routines caused by the pandemic, people are beginning to question the unpleasantness and mistreatment they used to tolerate as part of the normal office environment. Some people are saying that they no longer want to work for unpleasant individuals, but it is not against the law to be rude, which complicates the issue of dealing with difficult colleagues. The definition of a bully can vary depending on the perspective of the person being mistreated. In popular culture, the typical image of a harsh boss is someone like Meryl Streep's character Miranda Priestly in "The Devil Wears Prada," who is demanding and insensitive. In reality, rude behavior can range from mildly uncomfortable to extremely unpleasant. The founder's strong vision and ambition can make it challenging for employees to question his behavior, as seen with Garg who accused fired employees of stealing by not working enough hours. Similarly, Hollywood mogul Scott Rudin was known for his critically acclaimed work but also for throwing staplers at his staff. Another example is Steph Korey, former CEO of Away, who demanded round-the-clock loyalty and activity on Slack. In a message to her staff, she expressed her hope that everyone in the group would appreciate the effort she put into creating a career development opportunity. Korey also apologized. On the other hand, there are individuals like Larry Ellison from Oracle who described his leadership style as "management by ridicule." Ellison once stated that one must be skilled at intellectual intimidation and rhetorical bullying. Tessa West, a social psychologist at New York University, wrote a book called "Jerks at Work" which outlines different types of negative personalities such as the bulldozer, the free rider, the gaslighter, and the kiss up/kick downer. A lot of the instances she discusses involve bosses, who are typically more difficult to report. West's interest in this topic is personal, as she experienced workplace mistreatment during her time in graduate school at the University of Connecticut. A peer engaged in sabotage by providing incorrect meeting times and making inappropriate comments about her clothing. Despite the comments not clearly violating any conduct policies, West was hesitant to address the issue. West reflected that the climate has shifted and behaviors that were once accepted as normal are now seen as inappropriate. Going to work has always involved dealing with various unpleasant aspects, such as commuting, small talk before coffee, and being told what to do by others early in the morning. However, in the past year, the balance of power between workers and bosses has shifted for some. This change may be attributed to a record number of Americans quitting their jobs in November, as well as uncertainty surrounding return-to-office plans. More employees are feeling empowered to speak up to their managers, a shift from the past when being your full self at work simply meant wearing colorful clothing. Now, it involves practices like meditation with colleagues and discussing how the company supports the community. Despite initially not planning to leave her job during the pandemic, 26-year-old Jacquelyn Carter eventually decided to quit her position at a nonprofit in Houston due to accumulating grievances. Some coworkers often forgot her name, while others talked over her in meetings. A manager at her workplace criticized one of her ideas as "stupid." Additionally, as a Black woman, she faced insensitive remarks from white colleagues. Being able to escape to her own space at home made her realize she didn't have to deal with comments about her appearance in the office. Watching TikToks of people celebrating leaving jobs they disliked, she was inspired to do the same. One video featured a group of women dancing offscreen with a message criticizing toxic management at a company. This motivated her to leave her employer due to a mean colleague, and she eventually found a new job at Darrisaw's firm. The bad-boss-goodbye posts have inspired some individuals to transition from retail to office jobs. For example, Kristofer Flatt, who used to work at a big-box store in Arkansas, felt ignored by his managers when he requested more protective gear and time off for a funeral. He was also given time-consuming tasks with no explanations. In the spring of 2020, he decided to quit and pursue a corporate job. Janine Yancey, the founder of Emtrain, a company that provides workplace trainings, believes that businesses need to prioritize creating a positive and conscious culture in order to attract top talent. She also mentioned that companies have not invested enough time and resources in developing leadership and management skills over the past few decades. Yancey, a former employment lawyer, realized that legal reform alone would not bring about the workplace changes she desired, especially after watching Ellen Pao lose her gender discrimination lawsuit in 2015. Yancey believes that society as a whole must change, not just the laws. Shani Ospina is working to speed up this societal shift as a professional jerk patroller. An executive coach at Strategyzer, a software and consulting company, conducts 90-minute screenings during interviews to evaluate the personality fit of job candidates, emphasizing the importance of being a team player. She starts by asking candidates what aspect of themselves they are most proud of, then delves deeper by asking what aspect they would most like to change. She believes that recognizing failures and striving to improve is what distinguishes an average person from a hardcore jerk. One of Strategyzer's founders, Alex Osterwalder, identifies common jerk qualities as blaming colleagues, rejecting feedback, and gossiping about others. He stresses that screening for nonjerkiness is as crucial as assessing technical skills. The negative impact caused by jerkiness, similar to incompetence, can reduce productivity. Competent individuals who are also jerks can have significant consequences, particularly in a corporate environment where results are prioritized over interpersonal relationships. Baird, a financial services firm, has taken this concept a step further by implementing a "no asshole rule" into their company policy, even including it in employee training materials. Leslie Dixon, the head of human resources, has terminated employees for violating the policy. Dixon believes that openly discussing the policy during onboarding and throughout one's career encourages an open dialogue about behavior that may not be illegal but can be uncomfortable. Similar to the approach taken by Strategyzer, those enforcing Baird's policy understand that rudeness is not a fixed trait and individuals are not fired for minor mistakes. Beth Kavelaris, the director of culture and integration at the company, even received feedback years ago that prompted her to reconsider her own behavior. Kavelaris remembered receiving criticism from her boss about her listening skills, which she believes she interrupted her boss while she was delivering the feedback. She mentioned that she has improved since then and has not received such feedback in a long time. Garg, who had recently fired 900 people over Zoom, apologized to his Better.com team for not showing enough respect and appreciation to those affected. He promised to do better in the future and concluded his note by pledging to be transparent and share the company's goals for 2022. His downfall occurred at a time when almost every company is focused on retaining talent. Without a skilled staff, it is impossible to achieve targets. Many companies are recognizing that misconduct is a major factor in reducing their workforce. Darrisaw, from C-Suite Coach, assists companies in evaluating their culture to prevent employees from wanting to leave. She questions clients about any increase in employees wanting to leave certain teams. Frequently, this can indicate the type of management style in place. Occasionally, employees may publicly criticize their harsh coworkers, while in other instances, this responsibility falls to those who are leaving the job instead. This suggests that the departure of employees could be problematic for those who have been unkind.