A coworker recently shared an employment horror story with me that would make any job seeker or employee shudder. The focus of her story? A truly inhospitable workplace. She explained that she had been employed by a branch of a major financial institution whose branch manager’s ineptitude not only bordered on complete and utter incompetence, but made it impossible for the employees of that branch to embrace their work. This manager was not only ignorant of the responsibilities of her position, but she routinely committed the grossest of managerial felonies. She regularly stole employees’ ideas and paraded them as her own; used company time to conduct personal business; left work throughout the day to go tanning; wholly relied on subordinates for direction and information; and made it impossible for her employees to enjoy coming to work. She was, and is, the anti-manager—embodying all of the characteristics that are least desirable in a manager.
My friend had only two options open to her: complete deference—allowing the hostility to persist without interference—or resignation. When I asked my friend whether she considered bringing the problems she faced before HR, she responded that too was not an option, insofar as her manager would have illegitimately (and illegally) used such complaints as grounds for dismissal. While what my friend recently described to me does seem like the worst possible situation, there are a few things employees, faced with similar situations, can do to combat such animosity in the workplace.
- Record everything. If you are in a situation similar to that which I described above, it is important to keep one thing in mind: ensuring that a manager is held accountable for their gross incompetence or negligence does not make you a “nark”; rather, it shows a great deal of integrity and concern. In light of this, and in the grossest of circumstances, make a detailed and accurate record of your manager’s incompetent behavior and negligence—while you shouldn’t be keeping track of their daily movements, hold on to any e-mails or evidence which could help you later on.
- Be a model employee. If worse comes to worse, and you decide to go to HR, or to your boss’ boss, make sure that your boss can’t make a “legitimate” case for your immediate dismissal. While not everyone is this coldhearted, humans, especially if they feel betrayed, can be quite fickle. Past indiscretions could provide your boss with enough ammunition to make his or her retaliatory measures seem reasonable.
- Believe in karma. Although this tip may not be entirely helpful, having a positive attitude in the face of dire circumstances can, at the very least, allow you to enjoy your time at work. Believe that eventually your boss’ incompetence and unscrupulous behavior will become so flagrant and undeniable that their boss will have to take action.
- Run. While you should certainly make the best of a bad situation, there is no shame in keeping your options open. If you are stuck in the kind of hole my friend described, or in a work situation that is so bad it is beginning to impact your personal life, begin looking for new jobs immediately.
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