نصائح إدارية للموارد البشرية / مترجم 3

Today's Tip

Topic: HR Policies and Procedures

Bad Boss! Bad Boss! What'cha Gonna Do?

Bad or abusive bosses can demoralize and decimate a workforce. Here's what to do if you (like nearly 45 percent of workers, according to a recent survey), find yourself facing one.

In fact, says the Employment Law Alliance (ELA), which represents a network of law firms and ran the survey, nearly 45 percent of American workers have experienced workplace abuse. It's often characterized by a supervisor or manager who "makes sarcastic jokes or teasing remarks, rudely interrupts, publicly criticizes, gives dirty looks, yells at subordinates, or ignores them as if they were invisible," according to the survey authors.

Actually, says ELA, it sounds like a recipe for court action. Some 64 percent of workers surveyed said "they believe an abused worker should have the right to sue to recover damages," a release on the survey said. It added that "nearly one dozen state legislatures are now considering laws to prohibit bullying in the workplace."
Short of hauling your boss into court, what can be done about a bad boss?

Up the Ladder

About.com HR columnist Susan Heathfield, and others who've written on the subject, propose a ladder approach ... each step an escalation above the one that came before. Let's start on the bottom rung.

--Talk to the boss, advises Heathfield. Tell him or her exactly what you need and be polite about it. Do not tell the person he or she is a bad boss, which, says Heathfield, is "counterproductive and won't help you meet your goals."

--Ask how you can help meet the boss's goals, then provide the needed assistance.

--Seek a mentor from elsewhere in the organization, but do it with your boss's knowledge.

--Go to your boss's boss or to HR. This involves considerable risk, notes Heathfield, adding, "Understand that your boss may never forgive you." Complaining in concert with others who've suffered under the current regime can strengthen your case.

--Transfer out or start looking for your next job, and hopefully a better boss.
Others suggest documenting every incident thoroughly to build a case that will convince HR, upper management or, if it comes to that, a lawyer, of your plight.

Ignorance Is Not Bliss

Keep in mind, though, that bosses behaving badly often don't know they are. In fact, their behavior may be part of the organization's culture (think drill sergeant in the army), or it may be the way their boss trained them. So a bit of plain talk might do wonders.

It's also true that if you do go up the line and get a positive change in behavior, you may never know what caused it. Don't ask. You won't be told anyway. Just savor the results ... and don't feel guilty for complaining.

"You have the right to a professional environment in your workplace," says Heathfield. "You are not the problem."

Today's Quiz

In most instances, who is in the best position to perform the function of appraising an employee's performance?

1. Someone from the HR department
2. The employee's supervisor
3. The employee
4. Co-workers

Yesterday's Answer

What is the correct order of the following simple training planning steps?
Answer is:
B. Training needs assessment
C. Setting training objectives
D. Conducting traing program
A. Evaluating training results