is 潰 actually a bad word or did i get lied to lol

so i learned 潰 means to crush like a bug but then my friend said people use it for killing time?? like 暇つぶし? that sounds so violent lol. and wait is it true that if you say 潰す in an office you get fired because it means bankruptcy? i think i read that on a blog. also is the reading 'tsubu' or 'kai' because i saw both and now im scared to use either. maybe i should just stick to easy kanji idk