In the popular Charles Dickens story 'A Christmas Carol', the mise Ebeneezer Scrooge worked his long suffering employee Bob Cratchit to breaking point (this is where we get the insulting term 'scrooge' from... meaning someone who has plenty, but is not generous or caring to those who don't). He provided only minimal heating, expected Cratchit to work on holidays and constantly displayed an air of criticism and suspicion. No one would want to work for a boss like Scrooge, who represented the worst, yet common traits of humanity.