Bad Boss Story: Promo Watch Con

Source: Submitted by Anon

"I had a boss who said he'd give me a watch if I worked an extra shift over the weekend at a DVD/game rental shop.

Turns out, the watch was a free promotional item that came with a video game..I of course said no!"

👀 Our Take:

This is how you turn a simple “thank you” into an insult. Recognition needs to feel genuine — if it’s cheap, misleading, or transactional, it does more harm than good.

🧠 Could this have been avoided?

Definitely. Recognising effort properly builds loyalty; gimmicks kill it.

The Work Personality snapshot helps leaders understand what truly motivates people so they can reward in ways that inspire, not insult.

→ Find out what kind of boss you’d be