Your boss is in charge, naturally, but that does not mean they have to treat you with disdain or push you around in the workplace. A boss who does this may be a bully, and it can create a toxic workplace.
It could be that your boss is just trying to make sure you will do what they say, regardless of your rights as an employee. For instance, maybe they want you to sign out and then work off of the clock until a job gets done. You know you have a right to get paid for the hours you put in — and to get overtime pay for excessive hours — but your boss may bully you to try to get you to accept an unfair assignment and less pay.
Signs that a boss is really just a bully include:
- Isolating you from the other workers
- Subjecting you to verbal abuse
- Attempting to intimidate you
- Questioning your commitment to the company
- Questioning your ability to do your job
- Impeding your success
- Spreading rumors or talking down about you to others
- Undermining the work that you do
- Giving you unfair — or even illegal — job assignments and hours
- Intruding on your personal privacy
- Threatening you by saying or implying that you could lose your job if you do not do what they tell you to do
Working with a boss like this can be exhausting and infuriating, especially when you feel like your rights are being violated. When that happens, it is very important to know what legal steps you can take.
