Christian Chapman, 41, likened his experience at Better.com's orientation to the excitement of a new relationship. He was enthusiastic about the company's benefits and goals as a mortgage underwriting trainer. However, Chapman noticed warning signs, such as a profanity-filled rant from the CEO during a video call. Then, last month, the CEO fired 900 employees, including Chapman, in a recorded Zoom call. Garg later apologized, but just over a week later, the company's board announced that the founder and chief executive was taking time off from his role. For nearly two years, employees have been using couches as offices and communicating through instant message avatars. The workforce, which had undergone significant changes, is now reevaluating how people should be treated in a corporate setting. Angelina Darrisaw, CEO of C-Suite Coach, noticed a rise in demand for her executive coaching services last year, suggesting that the tolerance for difficult bosses has decreased. "You can't just wake up one day and start leading people," she remarked. "Companies are now focusing on ensuring that their managers are properly trained to handle their responsibilities." The increased scrutiny of workplace behavior follows years of public discourse on appropriate conduct in the workplace. 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, prompted corporate leaders to apologize for past discriminatory practices and lack of diversity in their workforce. With the disruption of work routines caused by the pandemic, people are starting to question and challenge the unpleasantness and unfair treatment they once accepted as part of the office environment. Some people are saying that they no longer want to work for unpleasant individuals. However, it is not against the law to be difficult, which complicates the issue of dealing with rude colleagues. The definition of a bully can vary depending on the perspective of the person being mistreated. In recent years, the popular image of a difficult boss is portrayed as a demanding and high-maintenance figure, similar to Meryl Streep's character Miranda Priestly in "The Devil Wears Prada." This type of boss may make unreasonable demands and belittle their employees. In reality, rude behavior can take many forms and vary in severity. The founder's strong vision and ambition can sometimes make it challenging for employees to question his behavior, as seen with Garg accusing fired employees of "stealing" by not working enough. Better.com referred to Garg's apology for the layoffs when asked for comment. Hollywood mogul Scott Rudin is another example of this trend, known for creating acclaimed art but also throwing staplers at his employees (he later apologized). Another example is Steph Korey, former CEO of Away, who expected constant loyalty and activity on Slack at all times of day and night, reflecting the intense millennial hustle culture. In a message to her staff, she expressed her hope that everyone in the group would recognize the effort she had put into creating a career development opportunity, and she also asked them to refrain from requesting time off. Along with this, she mentioned the self-determined leadership style of Oracle's Larry Ellison, who once described his approach as "management by ridicule." Ellison later disowned this tactic as that of an "inexperienced and insecure" CEO. Tessa West, a social psychologist at New York University, wrote a book titled "Jerks at Work," which outlines various 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 usually more difficult to report. West's interest in this topic is personal, as she experienced workplace harassment during her time in graduate school at the University of Connecticut. A peer engaged in sabotage by providing incorrect meeting times and criticizing West's clothing choices. Despite the comments not clearly violating any codes of conduct beyond basic manners, West was hesitant to address the issue. West reflected that the climate has changed and now acknowledges that certain behaviors are inappropriate. Going to work has always involved dealing with various unpleasant aspects such as commuting, small talk before coffee, and bosses who expect you to follow their orders even early in the morning. However, the past year has shifted the balance of power between workers and bosses for some individuals. This change could be attributed to the increasing number of people quitting their jobs, with a record-high 4.5 million Americans leaving their jobs voluntarily in November. It could also be due to the uncertainty surrounding return-to-office plans. More and more workers are feeling empowered to speak up to their managers, whether it be about making time for meditation with their team or having conversations about how the company supports the community. Jacquelyn Carter, 26, initially did not plan on quitting her job at the beginning of the pandemic, as she had been taught by her mother to stay with a team for as long as possible. However, the accumulation of slights eventually led her to reconsider her decision. Some of her coworkers frequently forgot her name. Others spoke over her during meetings. A manager at the company dismissed one of her ideas as "stupid." As a Black woman, she had to deal with insensitive comments from white colleagues. When she was at home, she realized she didn't have to face people making remarks about her appearance in the hallway. She saw TikToks of people celebrating leaving jobs they didn't like, known as QuitTok. One popular video featured three women dancing offscreen with text saying, "the company would rather lose 3 reliable hard working employees than fix their toxic management." Carter decided to leave her employer due to a rude coworker and started looking for new opportunities, ultimately joining Darrisaw's firm. The bad-boss-goodbye posts have motivated some individuals, like Kristofer Flatt, to transition from retail to office jobs. Flatt, who previously worked at a big-box store in Arkansas, experienced neglect from his managers regarding his safety concerns, unclear tasks, and lack of empathy for personal matters. He decided to leave his job in spring 2020 and pursue a corporate position. According to Janine Yancey of Emtrain, companies need to focus on creating a positive workplace culture in order to attract top talent. Yancey also emphasized the importance of investing in leadership and management skills, which she believes have been lacking in companies over the past few decades. Yancey, a former employment lawyer, believes that workplace improvements cannot be achieved solely through legal reform, as demonstrated by Ellen Pao's unsuccessful gender discrimination lawsuit. Yancey emphasizes the need for societal change, rather than just focusing on technical skills. Shani Ospina's role as a professional jerk patroller aims to hasten this transformation. 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. The coach 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. The coach believes that while most people can be petty at times, the key difference is the ability to acknowledge failures and strive for improvement. One of Strategyzer's founders, Alex Osterwalder, identifies common jerk qualities as blaming colleagues, rejecting feedback, and gossiping about others. Osterwalder stresses the importance of screening for non-jerk behavior as much as technical skills. Jerkiness, similar to incompetence, can negatively impact productivity. Competent individuals who are jerks can have significant effects, particularly in a corporate environment that values results over how the work is achieved. Performance is often rewarded over being a team player. Baird, a financial services firm, has taken this concept further by implementing a "no asshole rule" that is communicated to employees during orientation and included in training materials. Leslie Dixon, who leads the human resources department, has terminated employees for not following the policy. Dixon believes that by clearly stating the policy in written form and discussing it with new hires and throughout their time at the company, it encourages open dialogue about behavior that may not be illegal but could be uncomfortable. Similar to Strategyzer, Baird's policy enforcers understand that rudeness is not a fixed characteristic and people are not fired for occasional mistakes. Beth Kavelaris, the director of culture and integration at the company, even received feedback in the past that prompted her to reconsider her own behavior. Kavelaris remembered receiving a message from his boss, who advised him to improve his listening skills. He acknowledged that he may have interrupted her during the conversation. He mentioned that he has since improved in this area and has not received similar feedback in a long time. Recently, Garg, who had dismissed 900 employees via Zoom, issued an apology to his team at Better.com. He admitted to not showing enough respect and appreciation for those affected and vowed to do better in the future. The message ended with a commitment to transparency and the sharing of goals for 2022. His downfall occurred at a time when almost every company is focused on retaining talent. Without a strong staff, it is impossible to achieve metrics. Many businesses are recognizing that misconduct is a major factor in reducing workforce numbers. Darrisaw, from C-Suite Coach, assists companies in evaluating their culture and addressing issues such as high turnover rates on specific teams. "That frequently indicates the type of management approach in place." Workers may occasionally publicly criticize their harsh coworkers, while in other instances, this task is left to those who are resigning. This suggests that the departure of employees could create issues for the unpleasant individuals. ©2022 The New York Times Company.