Bad Bosses Help Make Labor Day Better for their Employees

Do work for a bad boss? It is probably the easiest question for any employee to answer. If you work for a bad boss, you know it!  If don’t work for one now, statistics say that it is likely that you worked for one at one time or will work for one. According to Jane Middleton-Moz, clinical psychologist and author of “Bullies: Playground to Boardroom”, says that “about 90 percent of all workers have dealt with one and most bully bosses get away with their intimidating practices, at least for a time”. If you work for a bully boss and you got the Labor Day holiday off from work today, I know that a day away from the office was all that much sweeter for you!

Why do companies keep bully bosses? 

Middleton-Moz says that bully bosses may be viewed by higher ups as being really good for the company. They do well in terms of what the organization thinks it wants and they are rewarded financially for it. Bullies, she says, can be charming and funny which may endear them to some people.

How to bully bosses “stay in power”?

A bully operates by using power tactics, whose intention is to intimidate those who work for them, and elevate or at least maintain their position in the company. Middleton-Moz says bully bosses are often arrogant, sarcastic and prone to brag about their abilities and accomplishments, in an effort to make others look less capable. For employees who stand up to their bullying tactics, the result is typically an intensified bullying attack. The message is made crystal clear to the employee and other employees who witness what happens to that employee. The message gets around the organization quickly,  “go with the flow” or suffer the consequences.

Why companies should remove bad bosses “from power”. 

Bully bosses lower the morale of the employees that work for them. Through their intimidation techniques, they also remove any motivation their employees have to go the extra mile for the company.  

Strategies you can take to deal with a bully boss. 

• Talk to a higher up about the bullying boss, but don’t go it alone. Take a trusted co-worker with you to discuss the issues. If you go it alone, it appears to be a personal issue. Your co-worker can serve as an additional witness of the bullying behavior. Higher level managers may not be aware of the bullying that is occurring and have an interest in how their company’s reputation is as an employer.
  

• Talk to a trusted counselor within the organization to tell them about the abuse. Use the counseling time for an emotional recharge and to set a record of the abuse that is occurring.
  

• Create a committee and use it discuss the emotional climate within the organization. Hold weekly meetings and send the report to the boss. Having a group tell the boss that his/her behavior is having a detrimental impact on their staff will protect you from being personally persecuted. The reports will also send a clear message about how their management style is being viewed by the members of their staff.
  

• Find a new job. Steven L. Katz, author of “Lion Taming: Working Successfully With Leaders, Bosses, and Other Tough Customers” suggests that the best strategy may be to leave the company and find a company who wants to end up on the best companies to work for in America.