This is fun

Jan. 2, 2007, 12:36AM
Just FYI: Bad bosses can do more than annoy

By BRENT KALLESTAD
Associated Press

TALLAHASSEE, FLA.— For most people, it's back to work today after a holiday weekend with family and friends. And for many, a new study shows, it will be under a bad boss.

Nearly two of five bosses don't keep their word and more than a fourth bad-mouth those they supervise to co-workers, the Florida State University study shows.

Those all-too-common poor managers create plenty of problems for companies as well, leading to poor morale, lower production and higher turnover.

"They say that employees don't leave their job or company, they leave their boss," said Wayne Hochwarter, an associate professor of management in the College of Business at Florida State, who joined with two doctoral students to survey more than 700 people about how their bosses treat them.

"No abuse should be taken lightly, especially in situations where it becomes a criminal act," said Hochwarter.

Employees stuck in an abusive relationship experienced more exhaustion, job tension, nervousness, depressed moods and mistrust, the researchers found. They found that a good working environment is often more important to employees than pay, and that it's no coincidence that poor morale leads to lower production.

"They were less likely to take on additional tasks, such as working longer or on weekends, and were generally less satisfied with their job," the study found. "Also, employees were more likely to leave if involved in an abusive relationship than if dissatisfied with pay."

The results of the study are scheduled for publication in the Fall 2007 issue of The Leadership Quarterly, a journal read by consultants and managers.

The findings include:

• 37 percent of workers said their supervisor failed to give credit when due.
• 31 percent said their supervisor gave them the "silent treatment" in the past year.
• 23 percent said their supervisor blamed others to cover up mistakes.
Workers in bad situations should stay optimistic, Hochwarter said, because the supervisor will eventually move on. "You want the next boss to know what you can do for the company."

Workers should know where to turn if they feel threatened or discriminated against, he said, whether it is the company's grievance committee or finding formal outside representation.

Hochwarter also recommended how to counteract an abusive supervisor.

"The first is to stay visible at work," he said. "Hiding can be detrimental to your career, especially when it keeps others in the company from noticing your talent and contributions."

As I recall, I developed diabetes (which does NOT run in my family on either side) after having to take anti-anxiety medications to compensate for TWO bosses in a row; PJ whose management style was to shout down instructions over the cell phone while driving through McDonald's, never to commit anything to email, to deny any crazy scheme that didn't pan out as having come from her, and who took all the credit for anything good that happened. This followed immediately by another, who managed by Instant Messenger, who manipulated the business expenses of four offices to reflect that mine had no income (and therefore, I had no profit sharing,) who refused to show me any financial performance once my office became inarguably profitable, who dumped a 17 year old untrained bimbo in my lap as a paid employee (charged against my profit sharing of course,) just because she had great tits, and then tried to have me jailed after reading hereabouts what I really thought. Ah, then, from that I went into an employment/principal engagement wherein my then best friend lied to my face about their company and its prospects.

Thank God my life has moved on. Craziness. It took them this long to figure out that stress in the workplace causes health damage?

I had a conversation on NYE with Bram about psychosomatic causes of illness and he wasn't having much of it. I think I'll send this to him.