# Boss a bully



## tomthumb (14 Dec 2005)

Bit tricky this one for me so wonder if anyone else came across similar.  I work in small company, 6 staff, one boss.   With the two younger members the boss imo bullies them, no matter what they do its wrong and he tries to intimate them too.   Its subtle but works because they don't appear to have much chance to answer back because he can just rid himself of them, being junior, fairly easily and has done so with others in the past.  If you have experienced similar I would welcome any guidance in how best to cope?


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## Diziet (14 Dec 2005)

tomthumb said:
			
		

> Bit tricky this one for me so wonder if anyone else came across similar. I work in small company, 6 staff, one boss. With the two younger members the boss imo bullies them, no matter what they do its wrong and he tries to intimate them too. Its subtle but works because they don't appear to have much chance to answer back because he can just rid himself of them, being junior, fairly easily and has done so with others in the past. If you have experienced similar I would welcome any guidance in how best to cope?


 
Bullying can destroy your self esteem and mental health. The best approach is to look for a job were employees are treated with respect. In the meantime, keep a detailed diary of incidents, in case it comes to a tribunal or court but quite honestly looking elsewhere is better.


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## DrMoriarty (14 Dec 2005)

I think the OP is referring to the bullying of _others_:





> With the two younger members the boss imo bullies them


It's a delicate one, since you don't want to appear (a) patronising or (b) to be trying to instigate something while keeping your own nose clean... but you could discreetly (or even anonymously) give them a copy of something like [broken link removed] or this?

See also


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## Kiddo (15 Dec 2005)

My first boss was a bully. We were all afraid of him (3 staff) ...he was forever telling us how we were lucky to have jobs and how we should be grateful to him for giving us an oppertunity (trainee accountants) ...despite the fact he was paying us peanuts. He would shout and roar at us if he was having a bad day, insult us at every hands turn, always complaining that we were costing him money. I had previously worked in a cafe as a stopgap job after college and I got that thrown at me on a regular basis...ie would I like to go back to it?..I lost count of the number of times I left the office in tears. 

Finally with the encouragement of a friend after one particular incident I got myself a new job and I'll never forget the satisfaction of telling the w**ker that I was leaving. ..but he had given me a small increase the previous month...and reduced my salary back once I told him I was leaving ...low life

My last boss (8 years on) was also a bully but as I was older and wiser I was well able to stand up to him...over time we actually formed a very good working relationship. He'd throw out comments such as " aren't you lucky I gave you a job" to which I'd reply "aren't you lucky you have such a great worker" etc. 

I always advised the younger staff coming in from college to stick up for themselves with him.(I'd take them aside for a private chat)...that if they felt they were unfairly treated to express this to him in a calm and rational manner..I'd tell them there was no point in complaining about it to me then kowtowing to him. My prime example to them was a guy who had worked there for donkeys years and in his late 30's would ask how high when roared at to jump....a very pathetic sight

The only thing I can advise you to do is have a word with these two employees and encourage them to either stand up to your boss or start looking for another job.


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## ClubMan (15 Dec 2005)

tomthumb said:
			
		

> Its subtle


If it's so subtle how can you be so sure that there is actual bullying involved? Have the individuals subject to the alleged bullying ever complained or made their feelings known on the matter?


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## tomthumb (16 Dec 2005)

Thanks for your input.  Having read DrMoriarty's links I recognise many of the listed examples, ie. intimidation,humiliation,intrusion,impossible tasks and deadlines,etc and when Clubman,  I say subtle, I mean he doesn't exactly lift them by the shoulders and shake them but verbally intimidates.  Its one of the marks of a good bully that others can be slow to acknowledge its even happening until its too late and the damage done.   I will deal with it by speaking to the two involved as per Kiddo, giving them my support and try to arm them to cope for the moment.  They both have spoken to both me and boss (both separately, not even knowing the other was upset so that is another reason I recognise it as serious). Thanks again and hopefully the New Year may bring change!


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## ClubMan (16 Dec 2005)

tomthumb said:
			
		

> impossible tasks and deadlines


It seems that I have been bullied too all through my career without knowing it. Is there a support group?


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## drop-d (16 Dec 2005)

Hey Tom, 

IMO, every1 is guilty, the boss for instigating, the juniors for not standing up for the natural right and the onlookers (you and the 4 others) for not interveening.

That said the only thing you can truly affect is you position in relation to the incident. If you feel it is injust you gotta follow your convictions.

First you need to get your boss's thoughts, maybe he does not even realise it is happening, also explain how it makes YOU feel uncomfortable.
If it continues, either deal with it! (harsh but true) or make a moral standing (and potentially/eventually leave).

It would be, maybe, inappropiate to appraoch the young ones. (unless they approach you)

The issue is not you are being bullied, but you think you boss is acting unethically, and therefore is a matter between you and your boss.

Direct and honest approach always IMO


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## Gordanus (19 Dec 2005)

ClubMan said:
			
		

> It seems that I have been bullied too all through my career without knowing it. Is there a support group?



I hope you are not being fascetious, Clubman. This is actually a very serious issue for people, and one that is taken very seriously legally.  Everybody has a right to dignity at work.  Are you being deliberately targeted and humiliated?  Or is it a general 'overworked and underpaid' comment as everybody complains of now and again?


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## Humpback (20 Dec 2005)

Having worked in an environment where I was seriously bullied for 2 1/2 years, I'm going to address some of the comments below.

The first and most important thing to remember in all of this with regards to being a bully is that you cannot expect to continue your career in a company where you report someone for bullying.

You may come out on top, and "win", but you're never going to be a winner in that company after making the complaint.

The best you can hope for if you follow any course of action is to come out on top yourself personally. In my situation, this was being paid to resign (redundancy) and a committment to proper reference.

Some people may jump up and down at this given our labour laws and all the rest of it, but facts of life are that if you make a complaint about anyone in a company, you're a marked person after that.

Apologies for the long post by the way, but I've a lot to say  



			
				drop-d said:
			
		

> IMO, every1 is guilty, the boss for instigating, the juniors for not standing up for the natural right and the onlookers (you and the 4 others) for not interveening.



I strongly isagree with your opinion. There is only one guilty person here. And that is the manager. You can't be guilty of bullying by accepting it and "not standing up for the natural right" - that's a ridiculous thing to say.

As for not intervening, it is my opinion that this is the last thing that anyone should do in such a situation (even if invited). The most likely situation for the person that intervenes is that one or both sides will turn on them for interfering, or getting in the way, or sticking their noses in.



			
				drop-d said:
			
		

> First you need to get your boss's thoughts, maybe he does not even realise it is happening, also explain how it makes YOU feel uncomfortable.


 
Feelings, I'm afraid, have absolutely nothing to do with anything here. For example, you go to your boss and say that his/her actions make you "feel" uncomfortable, he/she could very well respond with an equally useless comment like "well, I feel that you're overreacting". Hasn't gotten anyone anywhere, but now the boss is aware that you've an issue with them. And if they weren't aware of what they were doing, they now have a reason to make things worse - on purpose this time now.



			
				drop-d said:
			
		

> It would be, maybe, inappropiate to appraoch the young ones. (unless they approach you)


 
This is a very tricky thing, and as I said above, you should generally not get involved. As I said, you're likely to end up on the wrong side eventually. Picture a situation where someone goes into their boss, on your advice to speak with their bullying boss. He rejects their comments, and their only fall back is "but Joe outside said that you should listen to me and that you're wrong to be bullying me" - bingo, you're not on the sh1t list as well.



			
				drop-d said:
			
		

> The issue is not you are being bullied, but you think you boss is acting unethically, and therefore is a matter between you and your boss.
> Direct and honest approach always IMO


 
Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. If a boss is bullying someone, "direct and honest" is the last thing that will work with them. In most cases where a boss is bullying you, it's most likely to make things worse.

If you are being bullied, what I would suggest are the following. 

Firstly, read your companies policy regarding bullying in your staff handbook. Become intimitely aware of what it says, what it allows for, and how the process operates if you feel you are being bullied. This is key because this is what the company/manager will use as a means of defence as well. It's their game, and their rules, and you need to be aware of how this works and to understand how to use their rules in your own favour.

Secondly, and most importantly, before doing or saying anything to anyone, is keep a listing/diary of each and every event where you have been bullied. 
Not where you "feel" you've been bullied, but where your manager has gone against the companies policies. Keep dates, times, witnesses, and the specifics of what was said and done, and specifics of how the bully contravened the companys policy. You should detail also how you addressed each situation - comments you made to try to make things better/easier etc. And then, if it occurs, most importantly, how the bully may have continued even though they were given a reasonable way of stopping it.

The next step is most probably the hardest. Who do you go to? If it's detailed in the company handbook, then follow those procedures. If it means going to the HR department, do that - find someone there you have most confidence in. If it means going to another senior manager, then again, find someone you have confidence in. Don't get into the politics of the company - it's not a good idea to go to someone just because you know they don't like the person who's bullying you. That just involves their issues in your own personal situation.

In my own situation, I found a senior manager in a different area of the company who I knew well, and knew would be able to listen, give guidance, and help me with next steps. This was done on the basis of committing to not getting them involved - no need for them to be.

I followed company procedures, made my complaint to HR and waited to see what happened. I held back on the minute specifics, but just reported incidents - dates/times/actions. This was on the advice of the senior manager. The thinking was that the automatic and most likely ill-prepared comeback of the bullying manager would be to ridicule it, say nothing happened, and try to belittle the situation.

With the comeback of specifics to all of the incidents reported, the bullying manager didn't have a leg to stand on. The inclusion of witnesses to the incidents was the clincher in my situation. They weren't involved at all - they would have known that nothing was happening - but the fact that management, HR, and the bullying manager knew that other people had witnessed the incidents gave significant weight to my complaint.

How companies react after that is down to them, and I can only speak from my own experience. To keep everyone happy, I was offered a generous redundancy package (which was exactly what suited me), and I walked. I would have walked anyway, so getting the money to go was a bonus.

As for my bullying boss, I know from ex-colleagues that she's now been sidelined from the managerial position she was in to being a manager with no team and no responsibilities - the companys way of easing her out as well to make sure she doesn't do it again.


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## pricilla (20 Dec 2005)

I feel bullied here in my job and have been in tears a lot over the past year. I've really fought my corner but I feel exausted. It's a losing battle, and I agree with Ronan, you can't take a case and stay. Another girl here did and her life is a misery, even though she was 100% in the right. My Christmas wish is for a new job next year. 
I will be sad to leave after 8 years but his behaviour is getting worse and I really hate coming in here every day.
It's a very difficult situation to watch Tomthumb. I hope the people get away from him soon as it's unlikely he will change. It doesn't matter how tough the person is, bullying really does affect you.


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## Cahir (20 Dec 2005)

I also agree with everything Ronan said.  I stood up to my bully and he got 10 times worse.  Thankfully I'm out of the situation now (although not yet over the experience).  As for the bully - he was promoted to a HR job!!  I'm hoping that will expose his behaviour to people who can fire him as I'm only one of about 5 or 6 people (that I know of) that he seriously bullied over a number of years.
If he's not fired, I hope he's involved in a serious accident that leaves him in agony for the rest of his miserable little life.


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## ZEGAR (20 Dec 2005)

I used to get real annoyed and upset at work..I work with a guy who gives me zero respect.
  In fact he respects very few people he deals with.It has made him a celebrity of sorts as people joke about having to approach him for information.....Even managemnet know what he is like.....
    I asked him a question once and he turned around and shouted "Get away from me"..All this happened in front of my manger.Not an eye lid was batted....I just stood up and said "I am not taking this" and went home...


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## drop-d (20 Dec 2005)

Ronan, i get your take on this, but you are wrong, about your advise and the context.

Tom actually posted this thread about others being bullied not him!

Anyway, if people dont stand up to bullies as a principle, then they will continue to bully others! and therefore the cycle continues due to the fact that the bully will pick on the next person!!

STAND up to bullies, make your play.....frankly staying shut and accepting it is weak in my book and you are not thinking of the future, the other people that will be bullied.....

And fuk it! if your job is made hell cos you have morals..........YOUR IN THE WRONG JOB!

Leave, dont whinge about it!

I always stand up to bullys when people try to intimidate me.... and im fast to stand up on other peoples behalf too, many people dont like me, i dont go woth the flow, but where i am concerned my surrounding group knows i know the rules and laws backward and we run a clean shop!

FFS, you can also go to the high court or labour court about this not to mention the european court of human rights!!!

DONT TAKE IT!! Get a bit if backbone people!


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## ClubMan (21 Dec 2005)

Have to say that there would seem to me to be some happy medium between wallowing in/buying into the whole victim mentality/attitude and actually doing something constructive to deal with the problematic situation in situ or, if necessary, by choosing a different/better situation. This applies in many different situations - workplace/job, relationship, community etc. I'm not saying that this is always easy but in many cases we are in situations of our own making/choosing (whether we choose to face up to this or not) but still have power to influence/change these.


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## Humpback (21 Dec 2005)

drop-d said:
			
		

> Ronan, i get your take on this, but you are wrong, about your advise and the context.
> 
> Tom actually posted this thread about others being bullied not him!



Thanks drop-d, I appreciate this. Hence my comments directed towards whether or not to intervene. My other comments were directed to a more general audience and further comments regarding bullying which were in the thread.

As for my advice being wrong, I don't believe that you can make any such judgements on my experience, and hence my advi*c*e from experience. If you've found otherwise, and it's worked out nicely for you, please let us know.



			
				drop-d said:
			
		

> Anyway, if people dont stand up to bullies as a principle, then they will continue to bully others! and therefore the cycle continues due to the fact that the bully will pick on the next person!!
> 
> STAND up to bullies, make your play.....frankly staying shut and accepting it is weak in my book and you are not thinking of the future, the other people that will be bullied.....


 
I don't think I ever said anything about not standing up to bullies. What I did say was that when you do approach the situation, that you do it in a considered and well researched manner.

As for the rest of your comments, a little over the top I reckon. I would consider them a little along the lines of "bull in the china shop" type tactics, going in with all guns blazing. And as others have agreed with my comments, we can only leave it by saying that different people have different ways of handling things.

To be honest, based on the whole tone of your post, it have very strong "bullying" tones to it in itself - first person here I've ever seen try to enfoce a comment with "FFS". Unnecessary. 

I have an opinion, so I can't be "wrong". People can differ with my opinion, fair enough. Please respect that and debate, not attack.


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## drop-d (21 Dec 2005)

ronan, i am just concerned judging by the overall comments left here that Tom will do nothing about his predicament.

I think the general comments left here are by bullied people (as most of ye have pointed out) and are therefore not objective. I am providing the other side, the side where people work in a place where there is no bullying, and NEVER will it be accepted. 

There is no bullying there cos we wouldnt allow it! 
Simple 

I just get pretty annoyed at peeps here putting their career into the same boat as the bullying to "decide" what to do. It should never get to that stage.

What kind of constructive advice is this



> The first and most important thing to remember in all of this with regards to being a bully is that *you cannot expect to continue your career in a company where you report someone for bullying*


But hey, not only that, but if you are bullied....ignore it, let them be bullied!!



> As for not intervening, *it is my opinion that this is the last thing that anyone should do* in such a situation (even if invited)


Yes you have your opinion and me mine, Clubman perhaps put it more elequently than i but i dont appreciate YOUR tone in assuming my comments are over the top, or your analogy to "bull in a china shop" or suggesting that i am trying to bully people myself in this post?? 

Not to mention commenting on my colloqulial sayings, FFS!

If i am a "bull in a china shop" then you are a "pansy in a garden centre", and by default, who has been bullied here? Not me, but you have, how are you so sure i am not right in what i say or my approach!


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## Humpback (21 Dec 2005)

drop-d said:
			
		

> If i am a "bull in a china shop" then you are a "pansy in a garden centre", and by default, who has been bullied here? Not me, but you have


 
Quod Erat Demonstrandum.


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## nelly (21 Dec 2005)

actually i agree with Ronan and I work in H&S in a company. 
All of his steps are the correct ones. 

For example, 
Tom thumb mentions that he reckons boss is bullying the 2 guys a bit - Tom Thumb has now made a serious allegation and 2 guys may not have documentation to back up or may just mumble "not me sir" and shuffle off, Tom thumb is now out on a limb. 

There is nothing Tom Thumb can do if he likes his own job TBH. Except maybe direct them to this page and hope they have the wit to put 2 and 2 together. 

This is why bullying and lack of "dignity" in the workplace is so common, it is hard to get clear cut examples with witnesses and often is open to interpretation.


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## drop-d (21 Dec 2005)

ronan_d_john said:
			
		

> Quod Erat Demonstrandum.


 *
Nemo me impune lacessit

* Nelly, you are right, i suggested however dealing with it and staying quiet or make a stand against it.

Only considering your beliefs, and not your career, as other people have suggested. Id rather change jobs and keep my moral ground, than submit to things i know are wrong for the sake of a paycheck.

But thats only my opinion.


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## cork (21 Dec 2005)

Yep, I worked in a place for 4 years. The boss was a bully. There were about 5 working there. It was miserable.

It was soul destroying. Hours were long and pay was bad.

Things did not improve when I was there.


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## ClubMan (21 Dec 2005)

Was the bully boss in that position for the full four years? Why did people put up with him/her for four years without doing something including finding a new job if necessary?


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## Sarah (22 Dec 2005)

Bullying comes in all sorts of shapes and sizes and i have heard of comments such as " too soft "or "cant take a joke/Constructive criticism" being used to cover bullying tactics which leaves people doubting themselfs as to are they over reacting or indeed start thinking that they are just too soft...thus leaving managers free to continue this childish controlling behavior whether it be for their own amusement or just unawares...however IMO nobody is that stupid to not know what is right and wrong to act or say in a company.
Also sometimes leaving a company is just not an option for many people who either can not find another job or one that may not suit as in distance or job description...there are many reasons why people can not or do not leave their job even though they continue to get bullied many people are worried of the consquences of reporting a bully espically in smaller companies where if only one or two people are the bullys target and the bullying manager may be high up or have alot of "friends in the business" which makes things harder and shakes the confidance and it does not mean that they are weak or do not have a back bone.


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## ClubMan (22 Dec 2005)

In case there's any confusion I myself never accused anybody in this situation of being weak or lacking backbone. Presumably you were referring to earlier comments by other posters?


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## Sarah (22 Dec 2005)

Sorry clubman, Should have made that clearer,it definatly wasnt you i was refering to,it was an earlier post i was making a statment about just to give my imput and opiion on why some people dont leave their job or dont make a formal complaint.


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## Riddler (22 Dec 2005)

This is an interesting and extremely worthwhile thread. 

Bullying in the workplace has been identified as the single greatest organisational problem today ..not only in Ireland but across the developed world. 

Bullying and the physcholigical injury it caused, has been documented and in many countries and highlighted in reforming legislation. Ireland is to give some credit is to the fore in recognising it is a very real problem and in making provisions in employee legislation to counteract the growth in what is fundamentally violent anti-social behaviour. 

Ronan is correct in everything he is saying and demonstrates an insight that can only come from being the target of a bully. It is advisable for anyone being subjected to the behaviours of a serial bully to take the steps Ronan outlined and seek professional counselling help as well. 


For anyone interested in Bullying they should read the recent report of the Task Force on Workplace Bullying here : [broken link removed]

To truly understand the effect that bullying has one has to have experienced it. It is a form of violence visited by a person/people who have a documented sociopathy of what has been called a serial bully. 

Research indicates that targets of bullies are intelligent, mature and have strong personal values of integrity and honesty.

The bully fears one thing more than anything and that is being found out …and  people who are a threat to them. They have an irrational fear of exposure and are self-centred, many lacking basic social skills and can only relate to people as objects. 

They leave a trail of emotional destruction behind them and frequently promoted to management positions where they then begin to abuse and manipulate the HR processes and procedures to their advantage. The bully picks a target and systematically sets out to destroy him/her and when finished moves on to the next victim. Frequently the serial bully has accomplices in the form of other minor bullies…gang bullying. 

How often has someone who has tried to raise a complaint of bullying been subjected to disciplinary proceedings on spurious charges and HR have colluded in a process to force the person being bullied to resign ? 

The effects of bullying on a person cause serious psychological injury which in many cases takes a lot of time and counselling to deal with. Many targets of bullies will talk of the injury suffered and how their lives and their relationships were affected by the violence visited on them. Some have talked of emotional rape as being their experience at the hands of a bully.

If I use physical violence against a work colleague I will be summarily dismissed and may even face criminal charges. But if I use psychological violence, my employer will make all their resources available to me, including their legal team to defend against an allegation of bullying. 

Bullying should be listed as a non-fatal offence against the person in the same way as stalking has been. If so maybe employers will wake up to the fact that bullies and their violent anti-social behaviour should no longer be tolerated.

The law is slowly beginning to respond in recognising that serious injury is caused by bullying as have Government bodies. A seminal document issued by Task Force on Workplace Bullying is necessary reading for anyone interested in this area as is the work of Tim Fields in the UK. 

As far as the law is concerned the legal process is very difficult, slow and expensive (both financially & emotionally). The Labour Court is similar in many respects. Frequently the solicitors objective is one of getting out with a payment & decent reference. And when it is over the targets of bullies have to sign confidentiality agreements preventing them from talking about their experiences and exposing the bully. 

Recent changes to Health & Safety in the Workplace now require employers to include an assessment of the risk of bullying in their overall risk assessments and Government guidlines require employers to have a clear definition of what bullying is and procedures to deal with it.

But it is viewed as wallpaper when it comes to the employer behaviour in bullying cases. Few employers are brave enough to take action. In the vast majority of cases the only option for the target of a bully is to resign and move on elsewhere. Trying to take on the bully (who are very good at manipulating HR and HR company policies and procedures) is very difficult and almost impossible if the bully is the boss or a senior manager. There have been many cases where the target has left the company after reaching a settlement and the bully has been promoted even where the company has incurred significant legal costs ! 

The original post asked what can be done if you are a witness to bullying ...once again very little ..in fact it is also recognised that people who are witnesses to bullying feel powerless to intervene and are themselves negatively effected by the experience. 

Bottom line ..is of you are the target of a serial bully and his/her fellow travellers the only real option is to move on, pick up the pieces and begin anew somewhere else. For most people it takes time for this to dawn on them by which stage considerable damage has been done to their self-esteem and collateral damage in their relationships with family, partners and friends. 

Riddler


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## tomthumb (22 Dec 2005)

Sincere thanks to everyone for such a variety of ideas, suggestions, etc.  I really felt so useless - not sure should I risk my neck or let things go.   One of the juniors has changed from a happy helpful person to a rather more intense, quiet stressed out person in a matter of 9 months or so and that was the result of this.   Will think over things in the next week or so to see what I can do to help without making things worse.  Because they are young and inexperienced they are particularly easy targets where as I am a bit more hardened to the workplace!!  Again thanks to each one of you - I appreciate all your input.


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## Kiddo (22 Dec 2005)

ClubMan said:
			
		

> Was the bully boss in that position for the full four years? Why did people put up with him/her for four years without doing something including finding a new job if necessary?


 
In a lot of cases the person being bullied has their self confidence chipped away....in my own experiance my boss would loose the rag if I made a mistake or if I was taking too long to do something...despite the fact that I was a trainee with no experiance. which lead me to doubt my own ability to do the job and fearful of moving somewhere else then being let go as I wasn't up to the mark.

I was studying at the time and as part of the whole trainee accountant package is crap pay in return for experiance and study leave/assistance with exam fees,courses etc... well I got very little study leave and was sent on a mickey mouse course because it was cheap...surprisingly enough I failed my exams ...a fact which he used to ridicule me in front of my colleagues and further undermine my confidence.

At the time I was 20 and just out of college. I would have been brought up to respect my elders. It was only due to having a conversation about my boss with a friend who was older and wiser and who pointed out to me that this wasn't "normal" that encouraged me to find another job.

The experiance has made me stronger in the long run. As I mentioned earlier my last boss was a bully but I was well capable of standing my ground with him...which is why I took it upon myself to point out to the young staff coming in (as my friend had pointed out to me) that they didn't have to sit and take it but to stand up to him....thankfully my new bosses are pussycats and its a pleasure working here.


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## Riddler (22 Dec 2005)

tomthumb
this site may be useful  
or [broken link removed]
or http://www.leymann.se/ who was the person who first documented and exposed bullying in the workplace calling it mobbing. 


Riddler


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## cork (27 Dec 2005)

ClubMan said:
			
		

> Was the bully boss in that position for the full four years? Why did people put up with him/her for four years without doing something including finding a new job if necessary?


 
I tought I was mad staying there so long. But my record has since been smashed.

I was looking for other jobs. It was not bad all the time. Jobs were hard to find at the time.

I stood up to the guy - but more often than not the effort was pointless.


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## GreatDane (28 Dec 2005)

Some very interesting reading above, both in terms of what to do if your the target, or indeed if you have staff reporting to you & may be unaware fo the fact that something you are doing, might indeed be a form of bullying.

IMHO, bullying in the workplace is becoming more & more common, it may be directly targeted at you, or more general and targeted at a group of employees including yourself. I think this is where the help of a trade union can be very valuable, although they are not always present in smaller companies & in recent years, trade unions have not been as strong as they once were (there are pros & cons to this mind you).

I'm noticing more & more how some larger organisations are now trying to recruit new employees, or promote people into more senior roles without offering them the same package as their counterparts, it's cheap, it's a step towards the disgraceful conduct of Irish Ferries etc .... & sadly, its becoming all the more common in modern day Ireland.

All in all, the easiest option open to anyone who is the victum of bullying, is to go look for another job and move on ... then investigate the potential for hitting your previous employer with a law suit for constructive dismissal ... kick them where it hurts, negative publicity & financial pain is all most of these companies understand anymore imho.

Cheers

G>
[broken link removed]


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