A good workplace atmosphere is truly a blessing. Cozy headquarters, friendly coworkers, and tolerant management are the stuff dreams are made of. It’s no surprise we want more than just a paycheck from a job – we spend more than half of our day in the office.
Sadly, we often hear more workplace horror than success stories. It’s 2023 and Amazon still hasn’t normalizedbathroom breaksfor their workers.Bored Pandareached out to the author ofWork Jerks: How to Cope with Difficult Bosses and Colleagues,Louise Carnachan, to talk about workplace rules and jerk bosses. You can find the interview below.
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Bored Panda reached out toLouise Carnachanto chat about difficult people at work. Louise is a trainer and organization development consultant with 23 years of experience under her belt. She’s worked with companies like Boeing, Starbucks, McDonald’s and many hospitals and medical centers on the West Coast.In 2022, Louise wrote a bookWork Jerks: How to Cope with Difficult Bosses and Colleaguesto help people deal with difficult people at work. She’s not only an expert in this area, but has been in the trenches herself. Work Jerks offers practical solutions on how to stop dreading going to work and make it something you enjoy.
Bored Panda reached out toLouise Carnachanto chat about difficult people at work. Louise is a trainer and organization development consultant with 23 years of experience under her belt. She’s worked with companies like Boeing, Starbucks, McDonald’s and many hospitals and medical centers on the West Coast.
In 2022, Louise wrote a bookWork Jerks: How to Cope with Difficult Bosses and Colleaguesto help people deal with difficult people at work. She’s not only an expert in this area, but has been in the trenches herself. Work Jerks offers practical solutions on how to stop dreading going to work and make it something you enjoy.
Louise provides tips on how to deal with toxic management in her bookWork Jerks. She also shared some advice with Bored Panda. It depends on how toxic your boss really is, but there are a few strategies. “If the situation is frequently causing you sleepless nights, you may want to find other employment as soon as you can,” Louise adds.
“The narcissistic leader is probably the most toxic because everything is about their gain,” Louise begins. “They’ll throw you under the bus if they need to divert attention away from their misdeeds. A strategy with them is to stay friendly but do not get caught up in their inner circle. It may not feel as good to stay out of the chosen group but it’s a lot safer.”“Do not give them any personal information that is important to you because they are not beyond using it to demean or threaten. Don’t gossip about other employees with them. And look for job opportunities away from this person unless it’s clear they’ll cycle through quickly.”
“The narcissistic leader is probably the most toxic because everything is about their gain,” Louise begins. “They’ll throw you under the bus if they need to divert attention away from their misdeeds. A strategy with them is to stay friendly but do not get caught up in their inner circle. It may not feel as good to stay out of the chosen group but it’s a lot safer.”
“Do not give them any personal information that is important to you because they are not beyond using it to demean or threaten. Don’t gossip about other employees with them. And look for job opportunities away from this person unless it’s clear they’ll cycle through quickly.”
However, annoying behavior from a boss doesn’t always mean grounds for taking action. “There’s a difference between a manager’s poor communication style and bullying or harassing behavior,”Louisesays. “The former is highly irritating but the latter is illegal.”“Report harassment through whatever channels are available to employees (union, boss’s boss, human resources, EEOC, whistleblower hotline, ombuds office). Worry about retaliation keeps many from reporting but if there are enough of you, you can form a coalition,” Louise advises.
However, annoying behavior from a boss doesn’t always mean grounds for taking action. “There’s a difference between a manager’s poor communication style and bullying or harassing behavior,”Louisesays. “The former is highly irritating but the latter is illegal.”
“Report harassment through whatever channels are available to employees (union, boss’s boss, human resources, EEOC, whistleblower hotline, ombuds office). Worry about retaliation keeps many from reporting but if there are enough of you, you can form a coalition,” Louise advises.
“Do not sit unless you have a doctor’s note.”
What if your manager is constantly looking over your shoulder at work? “Being micromanaged is less toxic but it can make going to work miserable,” Louise admits. “Assuming you know how to do the job, ask what it is you need to demonstrate for them to trust you’ve got this. If it’s a habit they are unaware of (and you have a decent relationship with the boss), ask if you can give them a heads up when they forget and intrude on your work.”
Taking on a leadership position can be daunting as well. Louise invites us to look at things from the perspective of a person doing the managing. “Most people are thrown into leadership positions because they’ve been there a while and were very good at their job – not because they’ve demonstrated competence in leading others, which is a totally different job.”
Leadership, therefore, is also a skill that people need to learn – but few are given the opportunity. “Unless you’ve had a role model to follow, you’re probably at sea about what to do,” explains Louise. “Leadership training and coaching can help immensely but not every organization makes this available. There are many good books and leadership classes you can take on your own or through your professional organization.
The biggest mistake a newbie leader can make is to strive to be liked. “Being loved is a terrible goal for a leader and can lead to all sorts of dysfunctional behavior like trying to be buddies with the staff, gossiping or being too soft on performance,” warns Louise. “The leaders most people say were their best boss ever tend to have similar characteristics, although the personalities may be completely different.”
“They tell people what they are doing well and what they appreciate, are clear about goals and direction, have high expectations of themselves and their team members, don’t shy away from difficult conversations, and aren’t afraid to admit when they make a mistake,” the author says.
If a leader successfully acquires the aforementioned qualities, the result is more than being loved. “These are people who are not only respected, they often are the role models for future leaders,”Louiseexplains. “Not surprisingly, former staff members stay in touch with them after they leave because they have been mentors, not just bosses.”
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The restaurant I work at is forcing servers to get loyalty program sign-ups. Servers get paid $2 an hour, and this restaurant heavily relies on lifetime servers to basically run the place. FOH and BOH are constantly understaffed. We’re all just sick of it. This is the final cherry on top for some of us. Any ideas on how to handle this?
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She even told us that we can’t speak outside of work either. I’m pretty sure this is illegal. She can’t tell us what we can or can’t say. She also made an idiot of herself, accusing us of starting rumors when it was actually her and another supervisor who misinterpreted something they overheard. They created this weird story without actually going to the source and clarifying. She also mostly complained about her hard job and all the extra hours she had to work. She makes nearly 100k a year. We get less than half of that even though we are all college-educated and board-certified.
“2023 new rulesPlease read, initial each item and sign/date at the end.1) Calling in sick will require a dr. note when returning.1st offense - sent home, write up2nd offense - write up, 2 day susp.3rd offense - write up and could face termination.2) Come to work on time and in full uniform every shift. You will be sent home to get correct uniform. You must have a ** **shirt, hat, and blue jeans or khaki pants. Shoes must cover toe and heel, no holes. Use a hair tie for long hair.1st offense - sent home to get uniform. If you don’t return with it, write up2nd offense - write up, 2 day susp.3rd offense - write up, 3 day susp.3) If a manager asks you to complete a task, you’re to do it. Do not ask why? Do not ask another manager, we all have the same answer.”
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