I worked at my last company, just shy of 5 years. It was great for the first couple and from there it went downhill.
The owner of the company started interfering with our day to day because he thought he knew better. I understand he owned the company but imagine the most ridiculous requests a person could make of you in your role and you’ll understand what we were dealing with.
We had government legislation to follow and he would tell us to do things that breached it. When we pushed back, he would ask us to ‘prove’ the legislation existed. Even when we showed him online, he would argue that he knew better.
Eventually, we reached a happy medium where we would follow the rules, but nod along when the owner made his daft demands.
This kept the business profitable for years. He felt superior and we just got on with things. As a team, we worked brilliantly together. Then he decided to get even more involved. He would obstruct us following the rules and would belittle my manager greatly. Eventually, my manager tried to harm himself (citing largely work pressures) and the owner laughed it off that he was ‘mental’.
That was the tipping point. Within the space of 5 weeks, he lost every head of department, as we all applied for and received speedy alternative offers. In two departments, 50% of the staff gave notice after the department heads. Six months on, only a handful of original staff remain and they’re all job hunting.
The owner can no longer run a functioning business. The replacements he hired aren’t qualified to do the roles and are doing exactly what he tells them.
This is leading to loss of customers. They are unable to meet their contracts because they have no staff to do the roles, or who understand the sector.
But, as he kindly told us all, he doesn’t need us, we don’t know what we’re talking about.