Workplace Woe: Are Abusive Bosses or Inferior Employees to Blame?

October 12, 2007

  • October 12, 2007 at 1:55 am
    Mean Boss says:
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    Inferior employees are to blame. Employees take advantage of every opportunity to slack off and miss work. American workers in general are lazy (not all, but most). That’s why you can’t get good service for most products/services you purchase today.

  • October 12, 2007 at 2:16 am
    great EE says:
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    I beg to differ. I have been in both situations, and when working for a person that motivated with kindness and appreciation rather than insult or negative treatment, I put in a hundred and fifty percent more effort. The other unappreciative, miserable, negative boss got out of me just the minimum I needed to do. Its true that natually if someone is lazy they will continue to be, however there’s also a lot of truth to this article. Keep happy employees and they will in turn keep you happy. Not a difficult concept.

  • October 12, 2007 at 2:31 am
    Victim of abuse says:
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    My manager displayed bad temper, he was first to blame me of a mistake or call me names in front of others. He assumed everything was my fault and constantly raised his voice.

    He has since left the company and my new manager is very respectful, appreciative and gives me more responsibility.

    If I could do it over again, I would have brought this up with HR.

  • October 12, 2007 at 3:03 am
    Nice Boss says:
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    I agree with Mean Boss. Most employees are lazy, especially the youth today. It seems the nicer you are to them, the more they’ll take advantage. Younger people do not want to make an effort to learn anything or to do their best. Look at fast food. The kids that work there are slow, rude most times, can’t get an order straight to save their souls and don’t seem to care how well they do their job. It’s a shame. No work ethics anymore.

  • October 12, 2007 at 3:29 am
    Failure to report says:
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    I find it interesting that the employees who reported were more likely to react negatively by taking longer breaks, calling in “well”, etc. In contrast, the people who did not report were more likely to attempt to effect change. There are complainers and there are people who make a difference–it is in the individual’s makeup.

    There is no question that there are bad bosses and bad employees. I manage a large amount of employment liability litigation and have seen cases where there was legitimate bad behavior on behalf of the boss and cases involving what I like to call “employee retaliation”. These are the employees who report abusive behavior only after attempts to correct substandard performance are made.

    I am also a boss and have had problems with employees of all ages–it can’t be assumed that older people have a higher work ethic because my experience has been to the contrary. I believe there are those who will abuse the system and do as little as possible to get by and there are those with initiative and drive who will succeed. In addition, there are those who should not be in a position of authority either because of their temperament or total lack of training in how to manage people.

  • October 12, 2007 at 4:24 am
    Lurker says:
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    I have been on both sides of this issue and can tell you that my goal is to give 150% in all that I do. I have worked for bosses that were suspicious of everyone and for my type of team member that is a real joy killer.

    The other side is when you work hard to establish a productive team. I learned that it is important, if at all possible, to make expectations clear and let people flourish. Will you have slackers, of course, but then you have to deal with them and remember that one size does not fit all.

  • October 12, 2007 at 4:43 am
    been a boss says:
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    i always take surveys like this with a large grain of salt. Abuse, can be real, or it could be just how you personally define it. I have had bad bosses, but I can’t think of one who thought he/she was being a bad boss. They thought they were doing the right thing.

    I’ve been a boss and some days I’ve been a good boss and some days I haven’t been as good as I probably should have been. But, i have also had an occasional employee who would swear I was a terrible boss, even though I thought I was just trying to do the right thing. Sometimes its people who are asked to change and they resent it, so the person making the change is bad. sometimes they’re just a poor employee and when asked to improve, blame the boss.

    Communication is the key, but there is always going to be someone out there who doesn’t like you just because you are the boss. . . . and they aren’t.

  • October 14, 2007 at 9:47 am
    Johnny says:
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    This survey is obviousely one sided or bias. This survey is bascially saying that it is ok to abuse your employees and that is very wrong. Why? Because abuse of any kind will create fear and eventually anger. Hence, reason many employees go postal on their bosses, people can only tolerate a limited amount of abuse. If this survey is suggesting that it is acceptable to abuse your employee than you better be careful of who you pick on. I don’t want to see the 50’s or 60’s comeback. This article is obviousely coming from a Republican and eliteous group.

  • October 14, 2007 at 10:00 am
    CJB says:
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    Why must everything with which you disagree come from an eliteous or republican group? I agree and disagree with lots of people and groups – intelligence allows that.

    The 50’s was one of the most productive times EVER in America. The 60’s was full of just plain weird people (at least you didn’t try to bring the 70’s into it).

    What about the 80’s?

    “Going Postal” didn’t come from the actions of bosses, it came from how the postal employees were treated by the customers.

    Notice, I never said it was ok to be mean and nasty, just that the perception of being mean and nasty has changed. People are too easily offended – on BOTH sides of the aisle.

    Do you think poor performing employees should just be allowed to continue in their ways? Firing someone is “abusive” (regardless of how it’s done) – take it from someone that was fired for doing something stupid; but I learned from it.

  • October 14, 2007 at 10:07 am
    Johnny says:
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    HR will never accept any complains of this nature because their job is to protect the company’s assets and one of them is their managers. Think about it. Never, never and I mean never go to the HR because they WILL keep on eye on you and eventually find a reason to get you fired. If you want protection against abuse you need to document everything and I mean everything for 10 months of all the bad behaviors of your boss and those that participated with your boss and hire a well experience lawyer at any cost. You see, HR knows everything about you, think about it! Your job application included everything about you and your family, habits, social and your well being. They got you by the !!!. Always go outside to a lawyer. Also, Government will do nothing for you. Government employees take their job for granted and have very little interest in your life unless they can make a profit. Lawyers make a profit if they win your case and if you have a well document case any lawyer will want to take your case. Remember don’t contact HR or any government body as they both don’t care about you as they will not make a profit. Thus, reason all Republican Presidents do not like trial lawyers. Trial lawyers will fight for you



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