Ask HN: Does remote work make it easier for abusive bosses to hide?

People generally give managers A LOT of benefit of the doubt. It’s natural in normal, in-person work to assume as an employee we are the problem. Then you go out to lunch with your colleagues, and you get the ‘lay of the land’ of the organization and who to avoid, the quirks of different managers, etc. And if a manager does something abusive, it’s in a public place (an office) and makes it easier to see and call out.

But in a remote workplace, many of your 1-1 interactions are on a zoom call. Further, you’re not in a strong group setting where abusive behaviors are obvious or easily documented. Work feels more transactional, and the work required to create a safe culture is much higher.

Is it me, or is remote work a breeding ground for horrible bosses?

And if that’s the case, what does that imply for the cultures of remote work companies?

I’m a big proponent of remote work, and don’t want to go back to the office. But I just had an experience where I had an abusive boss and only recently, after a year or so, has it become obvious I’m being gaslighted, I'm only now comparing notes on the experience with others who are validating my horrible experience.