How to Tell When Your Boss Is Abusive

Most abusive bosses are women, according to a report in CNN Money.

Female bosses are responsible for more than half of all reported cases of workplace abuse, according to the Workplace Bullying and Trauma Institute. Women usually target other women, but male employers can be abusive, too. If you're enduring this at your workplace, you know that it can be very stressful no matter your boss' gender.

Instructions

1. Keep score. When your boss chastises you unfairly, speaks to you rudely, raises her voice or sabotages your work performance, jot it down in a small, unobtrusive notebook that you can keep nearby or in your pocket while you work. Look at the list at the end of your shift and see how many instances you noted. If you find that you make many notations day after day, this qualifies as abuse.

2. Take stock of your health. You can make this part of your notebook journal as well. Keep a record of how often you feel ill, either after working all day or before going to your job. Figure out how many sick days you've claimed, not because you had the flu but because you just couldn't face going in to your job. Visit your doctor or local clinic just after you get off work and see if your blood pressure is elevated. Abuse makes you feel bad, both mentally and physically. If your boss is abusive, your body is probably letting you know.

3. Observe how your boss deals with others. Does he treat other employees differently than he treats you? He may act impatient when you go to him with a question but welcome interaction with everyone else. He may ignore you when you stand by his desk, waiting for him to look up and give you his attention, but smile when anyone else does the same thing.

4. Ask yourself if you think you're doing a good job. If the answer is no, you may be working for an abusive boss. Frequent criticism often leaves an individual feeling that there's something wrong with him and that he always performs poorly. If you can't meet your supervisor's standards, maybe she's set them unreasonably high. Workplace abuse by an employer also tends to result in lower staff productivity and could very well be affecting your performance.

Tips & Warnings

• If you keep track and realize that your employer is indeed abusing you, you may choose to look for a new job. But don't make the mistake of giving her as a reference. If you only worked for her for a short time, you may not want to list the job on your resume at all. If a future employer questions you about why you left, take the high road. Not all potential bosses will be sympathetic and you don't want to portray yourself as being a crybaby and overly sensitive, especially since nothing about your previous work experience was your fault. Put it behind you and move on.

References

• CNN Money; Dealing With an Abusive Boss
• Leadership and Motivation Training: Verbal Abuse in the Workplace
• Counseling Outfitters: Article 61 -- Employee Abuse in the Workplace