The boss from hell takes many forms. He or she may indulge in anything from out-and-out physical bullying through to any form of unwelcome attention. This fiendish boss may indulge in malicious put-downs, sarcasm or using offensive nicknames. Sometimes the victimisation is more subtle – like overloading you with work or ignoring your input during meetings.
It's not easy to recognise unacceptable behaviour, let alone deal with it. This is because the things that make one person ill may be water off a duck's back to someone else. While you feel battered and bruised, your colleague may ignore the behaviour or is not upset by it. In many cases, the boss from hell shrugs off your objections by saying that it was 'just a bit of fun'.
The legal position
Clearly it's sometimes necessary for bosses to call attention to deficiencies in a team member's performance. But this doesn't mean that they can abuse their power by dealing with you in ways that belittle you.
Don't let it get you down, or consider that it's your fault. Your organisation has a 'duty of care' towards you and the law is on your side. If the treatment takes the form of race, sex or disability discrimination, you could bring a claim to an Industrial Tribunal against your employer, your boss or both.
What should you do?
There are many things you can do before you decide to involve a solicitor. Here are some ideas:
Keep a diary of dates, times, places and details of incidents, including the names of any witnesses. This will serve as evidence if you decide to make a formal complaint to your employer or take the case to court.
Discuss the matter with a trustworthy colleague, a friend, your partner, or even your boss's boss. Ask this person to help you plan what to do and to support you when you are carrying out your plan.
Assert yourself. Bullies rely on the fact that their targets feel powerless so becoming more confident will make them realise that they can't dominate you.
Tell the person what they are doing to you and how it makes you feel. State that you do not wish to take further action, but will be forced to do so if the victimisation continues. If that doesn't work, write a formal letter of complaint and copy the letter to your boss's boss and/or your solicitor.
Discuss the problem with someone in your Personnel/Human Resources Department. Dealing with employees' welfare is an important part of the HR role and staff are trained to treat personal grievances in the strictest confidence.
If no-one in the organisation will take your complaint seriously, go to the CAB or a law centre and find a solicitor to act on your behalf.
More information
Don't ever let the boss from hell make you ill or reduce you to a frightened five year old. If you take courage and action, your confidence will come flooding back and you will be less likely to be victimised again.
For more advice and information, look at:
workplacebullying.co.uk
The British Employment Law site
Bully Online
