Q&A for How to Deal With a Bullying Boss

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What are some signs of a bullying boss?

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Yelling at you without a single reason (and no boss should yell even with a reason), giving you more assignments than it is humanly possible to do (extremely more than others), physically attacking you, threatening to give you the sack, calling you names, shaming you in front of others, belittling your abilities, criticizing you constantly, etc.

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Question

What if my company is small and the bully is the sole authority within it?

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Then, instead of reporting within the company, you have to act externally. One possibility is to get your documentation straight and then approach a lawyer. For this, you should have recorded your dialogues with your boss and also have any other necessary documents way ahead of time. Get in the habit of taking notes. Your lawyer may ask you to send a memo to your boss at first, and if this bullying continues, they may advise you to institute legal proceedings.

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What can I do if I feel like my supervisor is discriminating against me?

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If you feel that you are being discriminated against because of your race or gender, your supervisor may be violating federal or state laws. You can meet with an attorney to see whether you have enough evidence to support bringing a case against your supervisor.

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My boss behaves in an aggressive and angry manner. He shouts and yells at me all the time. He also asks me to do several tasks simultaneously. I can handle multitasking, but he is making me nervous. I feel like he is forcing me to fail. What can I do?

Community Answer

Speak with your boss in a calm manner and tell him you two need to find a way to communicate better. Ask him to help you draft project goals and deadlines, and ask him to prioritize which ones should be completed first. Then, you can meet every few days to see if his priorities are the same and if you are getting finished with what he needs.

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What do I do if the bully is the boss's wife?

Community Answer

That is a difficult situation but she is not immune to the workplace policies and legal expectations to not bully or harass people just because she married the boss! Talk to the personnel department and tell them what is happening and that you'd like to make an official complaint using the appropriate neutral channels. Be factual, keeping a record of the statements and actions that she makes that you consider to be a form of bullying. Allow the due process to assist you but realize that in some cases, this may not be beneficial for your career. On the other hand, the world is a big place and life is too short to be bullied by the boss's wife.

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How do I handle a bullying boss if my peers are not helpful?

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Document all of the instances of bullying and take your complaint to the human resources department at your place of employment.

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What can I do if my boss is telling lies about my personal life, and creating rumors about me?

Community Answer

Document everything that they are saying and bring it to the attention of human resources. Also consider looking into hiring an attorney, as slander is against the law.

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What is the best behavior to have when a bully boss physically retaliates against me?

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If your boss physically retaliates against you, then report it to the police and press assault charges on them.

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