
Worst Ten Bosses:
The Grief Shamer
"While grieving my dad, my boss told me I should have been better."
Help us crown Australia’s Worst Boss.
💡 Every vote counts.
Every vote donates $1 to RUOK? (up to $5,000).

Worst Ten Bosses:
The Grief Shamer
"While grieving my dad, my boss told me I should have been better."
Help us crown Australia’s Worst Boss.
💡 Every vote counts.
Every vote donates $1 to RUOK? (up to $5,000).
One of the Worst Ten Bosses:
The Grief Shamer
Story submitted by Farhan
My boss once questioned me why I didn’t complete updates for the team during a period I was grieving the loss of my father...During a period I was on carers leave and my boss was meant to cover for me.He never genuinely apologised and told me I should have been better, I then questioned his ability to manage people.Safe to say he never responded to that question.
👀 Our Take
Criticising someone grieving a parent reveals emotional blindness. Leaders must honour human reality, not punish it.
🧠 Could this have been avoided?
Yes. Training managers to understand carers leave and providing support during grief prevents long-term harm.

Help us crown Australia’s Worst Boss

Your vote isn’t just about calling out bad leadership. For every vote cast, Compono will donate $1 to R U OK? Day (up to $5,000).
Together, we can shine a light on workplace culture — and start building better bosses.
Why are we doing this?
Bad bosses don’t just ruin Monday mornings — they crush teams, kill culture, and cost businesses billions.
At Compono, we help companies turn chaos into clarity through people science, analytics and AI.
Because the real win isn’t crowning a bad boss — it’s learning how to build good ones.
See what kind of boss you’d be in 60 seconds. 👇

Rudy Crous, CEO & Corporate Psychologist

Questions?
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How do I vote?
Simple — just click the Cast My Vote button and select your pick from the Worst Ten Bosses in our online voting form. One vote per person.
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Can I stay anonymous?
Yes. Your name won’t be shown publicly. We just need a valid email to count your vote and donate $1 to R U OK? Day.
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Why does Compono care about bad bosses?
Because bad bosses cost Australia big time — in morale, turnover, and productivity. At Compono, we use people science and AI to help businesses build better leaders and healthier teams.
- Where does the R U OK? donation come in?
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What happens after voting closes?
The story with the most votes will be crowned Australia’s Worst Boss. We’ll announce the winner publicly, share the lessons learned, and shine a spotlight on how workplaces can do better.
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What is in it for the winner?
The major prize is a $5,000 holiday voucher for the winner to escape wherever and however they like. They’ll also get:
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3x coaching sessions with a Compono corporate psychologist to unpack what kind of boss they’d be (or how to survive one).
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A spotlight moment — their story will be featured in our campaign, socials, and media.
In short: bragging rights, a getaway, and a career glow-up.
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Can I still share my own story?
Got a horror story of your own? Share on social media with #worstbossAU
You won’t make this year’s Top Ten — but your story could help us shine a light on what’s broken in Aussie workplaces.
And maybe, just maybe, feature in a future campaign.
READY TO CROWN AUSTRALIA’S WORST BOSS?
The Worst Ten Bosses are in — now it’s up to you.
Vote for the story that deserves the crown and help us send a message: bad bosses don’t win.
🗳️ Voting closes: 28 Sept at Midnight