Mistreatment & Misconduct

to act toward a person or thing without enough care, seriousness, or sense of responsibility

He played fast and loose with his employees' trust by promising job security and then making abrupt layoffs.

to make problems for something or have a negative effect on it

The careless team member played Old Harry with the project timeline, causing delays and confusion.

to not value a person or thing as one should

Jane's boss sold her short by assigning only minor tasks, underestimating her leadership skills.

to put the blame on the person who brings bad news and assume they are responsible for it

When the employees learned about the company's layoffs, they unfairly tried to shoot the messenger, the HR manager who was simply delivering the news.

to not care about someone at all or have absolutely no respect for them

He felt hurt and degraded when his colleagues treated him like a piece of trash, ignoring his contributions to the project.

to treat a person poorly by taking advantage of them or ignoring their needs and feelings

In the workplace, the assertive manager walked all over her subordinates, never considering their opinions or needs.

to look at a person in a way that shows one hates them or is very angry with them

When Sarah arrived late for the meeting, her boss looked daggers at her, clearly displeased with her tardiness.

a comment that seemingly praises someone but is actually intended to insult them

She gave him a backhanded compliment by saying his presentation was "cute" instead of acknowledging its quality.

to seriously affect or harm someone or something, usually resulting in negative consequences

The stressful job and constant overtime really did a number on her health and well-being.

to betray someone or cause them harm on purpose, especially when they do not expect it

After years of loyalty, his business partner did him dirty by embezzling funds from their company.

to pass a responsibility, task, or problem to someone else without addressing or resolving it oneself

The marketing team had no idea how to handle the technical issue, so they just threw it over the wall to the IT department.

to stop someone from complaining or protesting by offering them something that is not of very high value or importance

In the meeting, the manager decided to throw the intern a bone by allowing them to lead a small project.

to tell a person to leave immediately in a forceful manner

The manager had no choice but to send the uncooperative employee packing due to repeated violations of company policy.

to refuse to help someone when they need it the most

When his car broke down in the middle of nowhere, his so-called friends left him in the lurch, refusing to pick him up.

to be left in a difficult or embarrassing situation, often without any support or assistance

The manager promised to handle the budget, but when it went overboard, he left his team holding the bag.

to exclude or neglect someone, often intentionally, from a group or activity

During the important company meeting, the manager left several team members out in the cold by not sharing crucial information.