Before the days of labour laws and workplace protections, employees had little defence against unfair treatment. Bosses takes readers on a candid and insightful journey through the author’s real-life experiences with difficult employers—told with wit and reflection.

Set around a coffee date with her close friends, each woman recounts a story that mirrors one of the author’s own encounters with a bad boss. Through their conversations, readers glimpse the struggles, lessons, and resilience of working women navigating harsh and often unjust environments.

Bosses is both a personal memoir and a social reflection on how far the South African workplace has come since the days before the Basic Conditions of Employment Act and the establishment of the CCMA.