How to Survive Mean Bosses
Chances are, unless you’re one of the really fortunate ones, you’ve encountered a mean boss along the way. Insufferable male bosses can be a handful but many believe that they take a decided backseat to wicked women bosses, who are capable of being meaner than a junkyard dog.
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It can happen to anyone ...
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So what does one do when one realizes she is working for a … raging lunatic?Pray? Self medicate?Do I quit? Do I stay? Do I confront her? Do I tuck my tail between my legs and quietly endure the verbal beatings?The mean woman boss isn’t going to change. Count on that. The employee has to decide exactly how much she is willing to take. Once the employee has decided what the line of demarcation is, if the banshee oversteps the boundaries, she has to be prepared to quit. If the employee opts to stand up for herself and speak out, she has to realize that she is risking the chance of being fired on the spot because the mean mother won’t tolerate anything that even remotely smacks of insubordination. Of course, paying the bills in the interim, while you’re looking for another job, does create a problem. There doesn’t seem to be an easy solution.
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Document what’s going on, what was said, by whom and when. Include your own responses and how you tried to deal with the situation. Be factual, to the point. Don't get caught up in hyperbole or emotions.If the stress is so bad at work that it’s making you physically and/or mentally ill, go see your doctor. Explain to the physician what’s going on. That will provide legitimate documentation of your turmoil and, in addition, perhaps the doctor might be able to provide some assistance by proffering some sage advice. Even doctors have dealt with evil bosses.
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If you’re at wit’s end, contact an attorney who specializes in workers’ rights or call the ACLU. People have been known to quit their jobs due to workplace abuse, and yet manage to get unemployment if they can prove, through documentation and witnesses, that what they were enduring was beyond the pale, unacceptable and hazardous to their health.
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To quote Henry David Thoreau, “The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it.” Too often, we allow ourselves to be subjected to unacceptable behavior, foisted on us by others, whose trade is making life miserable for others. As scary as it is, sometimes you have to step up, take a stand, and say "Enough is enough."
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Tips & Warnings
Contact an attorney who has expertise in workers' rights if you are in an untenable situation and don't know where to turn.
