There IS a Supervisor Hellscape out there. I document it any number of times with statistics and obvious problems. But this one today shocked me.
“Superiors or managers at work play a crucial role in determining the welfare of their employees. And, the way they treat workers can shape how respected and valued subordinates feel in theie workplace.
A mom who goes by @ztyrzl on Threads shared a post on October 7, 2026, recalling how her boss had an unexpected reaction to her sudden need for time off. She framed it around her young son getting sick and her having to rush him to the ER.
Since she works from home, she messaged her boss at 6 am that she would be away for some time. The reply she got stopped her in her tracks when she returned at 3 pm.
She had informed her boss that she would be away, and despite the medical emergency, she decided to log in when she got back.
To her surprise, her boss told her that she didn’t need to worry about work. She even told him she would mark the five hours she was gone as leave, but he simply told her to take the day off. Then he did something most employers would rarely do. He said, “Make sure it’s sick/personal, not annual; don’t worry about being online today.”
This was obviously what she did not expect and that few of you readers expected, I think. It is why this made national news but SHOULD it have? Shouldn’t managers care about their employees? The obvious answer is yes and this kind of change is what has focused much of my attention in the past few years.
But, this is not the kind of Supervisor Hellscape in posts like this one about the workplace reality:
Click on the image to see the post.
We can choose to make a difference, so let’s DO it!
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For the FUN of It!
Dr. Scott Simmerman is a designer of team building games and organization improvement tools.
Managing Partner of Performance Management Company since 1984, he is an experienced presenter and consultant who is trying to retire!! He now lives in Cuenca, Ecuador.
You can reach Scott at scott@squarewheels.com
Learn more about Scott at his LinkedIn site.
Note that I often use Perplexity AI to help research and generate ideas for my posts.
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What I’m About:
My Square Wheels blog and website exist to help leaders, trainers, and facilitators make work smoother, more engaging, and more human. I focus on practical tools for process improvement, organizational change, and workplace collaboration that spark insight and deliver measurable results.
And I am convinced, after 30+ years of using Square Wheels®, that it is the best facilitation toolset in the world. One can use it to involve and engage people in designing workplace improvements and building engagement and collaboration. It is a unique metaphorical approach to performance improvement and we can easily license your organization to use these images and approaches.
By blending proven facilitation methods, creative problem-solving, and engaging team activities, my mission is to support organizations in building energized, sustainable cultures of involvement and innovation.
Through accessible — and often free — resources and virtual facilitation tools, I aim to help teams everywhere collaborate more effectively, innovate continuously, and take ownership of their improvement journey.
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© 2026 Simmulations, LLC. Please note that “Square Wheels®” is a registered trademark of Simmulations, LLC. and materials, original wagon line art, text, and visual designs are protected. Original line art by Roy Sabean, used under rights owned by Simmulations, LLC and formerly Performance Management Company, a sole-proprietorship of Dr. Scott J. Simmerman. Original concept and source artwork © Simmulations, LLC; derivative visuals sometimes created with assistance from Perplexity Pro AI.
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