Lots of jobs can be stressful, but having a supportive supervisor goes a long way to making it manageable. On the flip side, if you’re being undermined, overwhelmed, and ignored by your boss all the time, it can take a toll much bigger than just dreading going to the office every day.
A recent survey from the career site Monster finds that more than half (54%) of workers report having poor mental health because of a toxic, controlling manager.
“A bad boss can make or break your employment,” says Vicki Salemi, a career expert for Monster. “You may love your job and enjoy time with your colleagues and the company you work for, but at the end of the day, if your boss is toxic, this often surpasses cumulative positive reasons to stay.”
So, how do you know if your boss is toxic? These are some warning signs:
- They throw you under the bus - Trying to make an employee look bad by disrespecting them or downgrading their work is a classic toxic boss move.
- Taking credit for your work - They may try to imply that they did all the hard work and are the only one responsible for the team’s successes.
- They don’t listen - Instead of supporting and showing empathy and flexibility, toxic leadership refuses to listen, show compassion or understanding.
- They micromanage you - Nitpicking your work, demanding details about how you spend every minute of the workday and checking in constantly are signs a boss doesn’t trust you and needs to be in control.
- Making unrealistic demands - You can’t do the work of three people without extra time or compensation, but they expect you to anyway.
- Playing favorites - Only a toxic boss pits employees against each other, praises only one member of a team for a project and encourages rivalry among staff.
If you do have a toxic boss, this is how to deal with them:
- Talk to them directly - Raise your concerns calmly and professionally with specific examples.
- Keep a record - If they deny it or gaslight you, have a record of the conversation to show HR.
- Go to HR - In some cases, like a discrimination issue, talking to human resources will help.
- Know when to move on - If you’ve tried everything and nothing has helped, it’s probably time to change jobs.
Source: USA Today