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Why People Don't Like Working With Female Bosses

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The fact that women are now shattering glass ceilings and calling the shots at organizations is quite laudable.

However, while women are proving societal stereotypes wrong and taking the lead, some people say they’d rather work with male bosses than female bosses.

Why?

To find answers to this, I held a poll on Facebook and asked why some people don’t like working with female bosses.

Read their opinions below:

”Nobody likes to work with bad bosses either a male or female. Only that bad female bosses are worse than the male. If she has a bad day, you are going to have to a bad day at work too.” – Oluyemi
”Most females I asked this question said they’d rather not work at all than work for female bosses… If you ever wear an outfit and receive open compliments from male staff, you have already sentenced yourself without knowing. The key to succeeding as a female under a female boss is to keep romancing their self-pride; compliment them even when their sense of fashion has gotten obsolete, and always tell them they look good even when they don’t! It’s one hell of a job on its own!” – Daniel
”Some female bosses want to subjugate. You have to serve them. It’s not enough to just do your job, you have to literally worship them and breathe them. Some are disrespectful and lack the ability to make basic communication without sounding or coming across as arrogant. They also hide under the umbrella of “I don’t take nonsense” or ‘I want the best for you” or ” During my time, my female boss was way worse, you don’t know how lucky you are that I am like this”.. Like WTH really?” – Adenike
”They are very difficult, too uptight and less understandable. They rarely empathize with their subordinates all they want is their own deed done.” – Chioma
”Because the majority of them are pure evil. They bring their frustrations from home plus personal ish and dump off on you.. Especially female bosses in the bank.” – Sheila
”Because a lot of things that people get away with while working with a woman gets picked up. Because people always term any action of the boss as hormonal. Because people wouldn’t really call the same actions performed by a man anything but assertive, high drive, discipline etc. Because they don’t know that the female boss might have to prove herself to her bosses and that might mean “breathing” down their throats. Because people don’t know anything about how a good boss should be and when the person does something they don’t like they begin to compare.” –Dawn
”Their trouble is plenty, forget women helping women nonsense. If I start, it won’t end.” Ann
”They are diligent, workaholics, don’t give room for lapses nor laziness. Sometimes, they are jealous of their staff and can even compete with them!” Lilian
”Many female bosses can be extremely inconsiderate, bitchy, illogical, emotional and jealous for reasons beyond the employees’ control. Few are kind especially not to fellow females. Some are really sweet to work with but such are few.” Florence
”Honestly, I hate it, this was today’s experience. A lot of them feel like a mini God.” – Keji
”Really? I’m a boss and I’m too nice to a fault. My colleagues complain about that but most times, it’s people that make people bad. I see my driver as my teammate.” Oluchi
”Our troubles are too much. This was exactly what we discussed at my store today. Can’t forget the one I worked with. I almost died.” – Veronique

‘We ladies/women have issues… I am still battling with one.” – Grace
”Because some of them are always acting frustrated as if you are the reason for their misfortune in life.” – Bukky
”Because most times some of them act and behave like deputy Jesus.” – Maureen

”Too much drama.” – Omoyeme

”My boss is male. He is frugal, very strict on official matters, and expects accountability to the last penny. Yet he is compassionate, sensitive and diligent. There are not many female bosses who know how to balance such qualities perfectly without issues.” Nneka
”They are overly emotional and they shun logic, realistic, practical and professional way of going about things.” – George

”When I was still in paid employment, I worked only for female Bosses. Both of them were temperamental but AMAZING!!!!” – Olivia

”I believe its a matter of perception and preconceived notions.” Kemi

”Everywhere I’ve seen… Although with the exceptions of a few. Female bosses are wicked. Sometimes just women in places of authority. If they are not wicked, they have some attitudes that make it difficult for you to deal with them. And they do it to their female and male subordinates. I sometimes think they started doing it based on inferiority complex or ‘let people not disrespect me’ notion. But it ends up becoming a bad habit.” – Beth

”It is because of “I am the one here” syndrome.” – Opeolu

”Preconceptions and maybe a few bad experiences.” – Sekemi

”They can be petty.” – Taariqa

”They always feel you’re in a competition with them.” – Pauline

”My female boss is a good case study, I thought she wasn’t human before. You’ve got to experience her strictness and see the world in another direction.” – Adeola

”They are most times power-driven!” – Esther

”Because sometimes they pass off toxic femininity and also some females would expect the favours they got from their male bosses just because of their gender. Then when they meet a female boss who wouldn’t pander to such sentiments, they would call her wicked.” – Chiluba

”I think it’s about individual differences. As much, as I would prefer a male boss. Some male bosses can be annoying too. So I had to learn how to work with anyone, not minding their attitude.” – Omolara

”My bosses are all women. I love them! No issues with them.” – Cinderalla

”Women are too difficult, especially to fellow women.” – Christiana

”Being working with mine for over 15 years. She’s more like a mother and a friend.” – Amaka

”I have 56 subordinates and none is keen on leaving my department anytime soon. I’m the one that looks forward to moving. they trouble me like toddlers.” – Adaobi

”Some of my best bosses have been female. The issue with some of these people who have “issues” with female bosses is that they sometimes have unrealistic expectations of their female bosses. A male boss will rightly scold his subordinate and be firm, people will say he’s doing his job. A woman will do the same, you will hear:
“It’s because she is not married”
“It’s because she doesn’t have children”
“She is not nice”
“A woman should not behave like that”
“Doesn’t she know I’m a man? How can she be talking to me like that?”
My friend, swallow your ego, learn and accept discipline.
” – Emmanuela

”Their problems are too much. Always trying to prove you are the boss. Like seriously, who is dragging it with you people?” – Johnson

”I like female bosses. I’ve worked with a couple of them and they were awesome! In fact, I still miss them. Today, I’m one and I’m happy. If you don’t want to keep having problems with bosses, then do your job! Some subordinates will refuse to be up and doing, yet expect to be pampered or never be scolded. Really?? ???
Do your job. Nobody will annoy you as long as you do what you’re being paid for!” – Yinka

”Because they make 95% emotional decision and 5% logical ones.” – Emmanuel

”They work extra hard to sustain their position in a “man’s world ” so this makes them really harsh to their subordinates. Some of them are excessively mean.” – Titilayo

‘The female boss out of the fear of being tagged incompetent tend to work extra and have a little ‘Margaret Thatcher’ attitude. A lot of the time it is to prove that what a man can do a woman can do better.” – Shontelle

”The female bosses I have worked with have been the best.” – Yale

”I think it’s a complex thing either way. A man feels he already controls a woman at home and shouldn’t have to answer to any female including his boss. The female boss, on the other hand, having had her fair share of bullying by boyfriends overtime or husband as the case may be subconsciously has an ax to grind with men and this shows in their attitude, even unconsciously. It’s the same reason a woman will not give a man room to pass while driving even when the man begs.?
Additionally, due to societal dictates and patriarchal enabling, she is faced with trying to assert and continually having to prove herself capable of managing the position she has found herself, so she may erroneously be seen as difficult” – Kemi

”People who don’t like working with female bosses, are mostly lazy entitled, arrogant sobs, who have very little or no idea in respect of office hierarchy.” – Timipre

”Most of them are always mean for nothing sake. Always trying to suppress their subordinates. Only a few are different.” Funmi

”They bring home aggression at you.” – Atinuke

”Even fellow women don’t pray to have female Bosses. Mine was my final goodbye to paid jobs before I eventually gat some balls to establish my own firm. Self-esteem destroying experience for me as a young man being an assistant manager to a woman, it was all about suspicion of me wanting to take over her position and instigation of the headquarters against me. Thank God, today I can conveniently employ and pay her.”- Paul

”I love working with female bosses. I have not met a terrible one. I’m blessed. But from a distance, female bosses have this pepper body. They always want to prove to others and themselves that they are bosses. Madam, nobody will berate you, nobody will ask to sleep with you, you are the boss. We respect you. Stop raising voice, stop getting unnecessarily angry.” Abraham

”Most people who don’t like working with female bosses already have the preconceived notion that women shouldn’t be in leadership positions (both men and women feel so), and that women are in the office to be their mothers. Men feel she is a woman and doesn’t have authority over them, while women feel she is a woman so she is their “mate”.

So when she is strictly their boss, they become incompetent whiners who can’t just shut up and do their jobs. A female boss is not your mother, she doesn’t have to correct you with love, she is not your wife, she doesn’t answer to you, she also doesn’t have to be your friend. Do your damn job and go home.” – Amara

”I like female bosses though. If they like you, they can be compassionate. And very supportive too. But the bulk of them seem to be insecure and think every little banter in the workplace is aimed at looking down on them and often treat little issues high-handedly, and they make a lot of emotional decision which is bad for professionalism. But still, there are good ones. And I love them. I’d take a good female boss over a good male boss. And mind you, there are male bosses who are assholes too. But it is less visible, because, let’s face the fact, hostility looks better on men than it does on women. If it is a man, he’s strict. If it’s a woman, she’s wicked ?. My two cents✌️?.” – Michael

”All my female bosses were good people.” – Itunu
******
Some people share my thoughts on this matter. A lot of people believe that women shouldn’t be in power or leadership, and even if they are, they are expected to exhibit feminine qualities (softness, gentle, emotional, caring, subservient etc.) even as leaders.

When this is not the case, then there is a problem.

I also agree that some female bosses in a bid to prove that they are worthy of their positions, tend to overdo, thereby fulfilling the stereotypes that female bosses are harsh.

Sharing is caring!

Cheyanne

Tuesday 15th of March 2022

Female bosses don’t know how to talk to people, they are rude and sometimes unprofessional. They are the main ones who do this. They are also inapproachable when they’ve done something wrong, their egos get in the way, they become narcissistic and arrogant, and they are more likely to pull the gender card. They say things out of their mouths to their employees that can be disrespectful. They are moody too when they have an issue in their personal life they find it difficult to seperate professionalism and personal problems. The thing is with females, emotions and logic are closely connected if women are not careful women can lump both of them together. There are some female bosses who are a pleasure to work with though, female bosses can indeed be stern, they are bosses. But there is no reason to try “hard” because you’re a woman if you’re insecure like that, do not be a manager or a boss, because you’re going to end up being unreasonable and annoying to work with and you’ll only enforce the stereotype that women are not good in charge.

Mabel's Blog

Saturday 19th of March 2022

Your comment is so insightful! Thank you for sharing.

Umeaku

Thursday 23rd of January 2020

I know most of the people here commenting blablabla are female bosses themselves..see ehn, let me state it in black and white There are amazing people and terrible people irrespective of gender.But you see women ehn , we're the best of everything we do good and bad, so your guess is as good as mine..first we live in an African society were Male superiority is the order of the day..we are sorry but that's what we have. Don't get it twisted I am a babe..but 79% percent of female bosses are PLAIN TERRIBLE.Let me use mine as an example..I work in a bank..she is Bipolar like what you can call scoinscoin...her brain touches..today she is angry the next day she over excited and I am supposed to be studying her emotions and relate as required added to my billion billion target. She will always have mood swings when you dress better, have fine boy colleagues coming to greet you or have lunch with you, when you don't and ask for clarity, when you gyming, intact when you are happy she has a mood swing, she had a talk out with a colleague the other day and had no point than ...YOU ARE ALWAYS SHAKING YOU BUMBUM, WEARING DESIGNER CLOTHES AS IF THIS IS A PARTY HALL, PLAYING WITH ALL THE GUYS BLABLABLA...THIS WOMAN IS MARRIED BUT SHE IS DEVILISHLY JEALOUS AND BITTER..SO ARE HER FRIENDS

Mabel

Friday 24th of January 2020

Hahahaha.

Wow. This is serious!

God help us women.

I think sometimes women tend to overdo things in order not to fulfil the stereotypes that women should be calm, gentle, humble, caring etc. even in formal settings.