He�ll do persistent, subtle things that will take time for you to recognize as an undermining pattern of behavior. He might, for example, belittle your opinions; spread malicious gossip about you; exclude you from meetings; make sarcastic remarks when you speak; take credit for your successes and make you the scapegoat for his failures.

And he�s probably a consummate politician, toadying up to his superiors who would then be incapable of believing such a jolly good fellow could do such nasty things. So if you�re inclined to speak up, you look like a whiner and malcontent. It�s a pretty good Catch-22 and excellent way to consolidate power.

But workplace bullying erodes worker self-confidence and job satisfaction, leading to lost productivity, increased health-care costs and accelerated employee turnover. So it translates to a bottom-line issue. And like its cousin, domestic violence, it�s attracting more attention.

A Bully Pulpit

Dr. Gary Namie, director of the Workplace Bullying and Trauma Institute in Bellingham, WA, and co-author of The Bully at Work, says such behavior is particularly prevalent in corporate banking and finance. He says an obsession with making the numbers is fertile ground for management through fear. �With the message that you have to make the next quarter�s goals, what�s implied is that we don�t care how you do it,� he says. �It�s a work environment that draws [bullying] out. If you�re remotely competitive and ambitious, are you going to cooperate or wipe people out? It drives humanity out of the workplace.�

One new class of bully, Namie says, is women managers. �Fifty-eight percent of bullies are women. Guys are totally stunned by hyper-aggressive new woman managers. But they can abuse their staff and then threaten to sue for sexual harassment [if they�re challenged],� he says. �It�s a myth that woman managers are nurturers. And they target other women 87% of the time.�

Dr. Loraleigh Keashly, associate professor of communications at Wayne State University in Detroit, says a WSU study presented in 2004 shows that 7% of Michigan workers report being persistently mistreated by bosses. They say their bosses are rude and disrespectful. The employees feel that they�re not being appropriately rewarded or recognized for their work. And they say they�re given an unfair share of harsh tasks to perform.

�[Bad] behaviors that come from a boss hurt more than the same behaviors coming from a subordinate, because bosses are in a position to control things that people value, like salaries and performance reviews� Keashly says. �It�s seen as an abuse of authority.�

Find the Carrot, Lose the Stick

The stress from being the target of a bullying boss can manifest in mental and physical ailments, Namie says. �But once you fall out of the crosshairs you�re going to be healthy again.�

Keashly says most people, however, don�t do anything about the situation, in part because they fear retaliation and also because they think the organization won�t stand up for them. Others blame themselves for their bosses� bad behavior (the �If only I were nicer� or the �I don�t work hard enough� syndromes). �They tend to talk to their friends and family, but those people can�t change anything,� she says.

She recommends that victims of bullying keep a journal. A pattern may become evident. �Slowly you�ll begin to realize that it�s not you, but the other person. And you may be able to use it as a document in a grievance format,� she says.

�Name it,� Namie says. �Call it bullying or psychological harassment. It�s a form of workplace violence. Once you do that, you can stop the self-blame.� Discretely talk to your colleagues. �See if anybody else sees it happening too,� Keashly says. �Ask things like, �Anybody else think Jim�s been in a bad mood?�� And if you see it happening to a colleague, approach him or her. �It can help the target know it�s not just them,� she says.

Namie also suggests a time-out � for you. �Take time off. Go on short-term disability if you must. Check your physical and mental health. It�s usually a doctor who catches [the associated] hypertension early on.� Then, he says, explore avenues for relief. Check your company�s internal policies. Talk to a lawyer, although the law currently offers very little protection in this area.

Bullies Bad for Business

Make a business case against the bullying. �Gather data that show the cost of turnover, absenteeism, lost productivity and lost reputation,� he says. �Expose the bully to the highest-level person you can (just not to the cousin of the bully or the person who hired the bully),� he says. �Give them the opportunity to fix it.�

If you ultimately feel that you have to leave the organization, make your reasons known, Namie says. �People feel empowered by doing that. If you leave shrouded in silence and secrecy you have a longer rebound time. When you go kicking and screaming and pointing fingers, it helps your own mental health. And others will come forward, too. The alternative is to sit home and get sicker and sicker, and keep asking yourself, �Was I really incompetent?��

Keashly adds, �Individuals are limited but organizations have a lot of leverage as to how people can respond to bullying. Sexual harassment is down in places that don�t permit it. If an organization has clear ideas about how people should be treated, bullying decreases.�

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Reader Comments:

Thank you for putting this article on the 'Net. I knew that my boss was a bully, but it's good to have that confirmed and to realise that I was not the problem.

I loved my job: loved the work, the customers, the workplace, the co-workers--except for this one woman, the district manager. She seemed very fair and considerate when she hired me, but then she began to evince a certain attitude towards me. Nothing I did when she was around was good enough. If I was in one part of the store, I should be in another. She would give me an instruction and then 5 minutes later give me a contradictory one (often with a comment that I SHOULD have known to do the contradictory thing automatically!). I would be talking to her and she would turn and walk away as though I was not even there. And I found out from co-workers that she had said cruel, catty things about me to them.

My immediate (store) manager liked me and told me I was an excellent worker. My co-workers all seemed to enjoy working with and by me and things always went well in the store when we were together. But when this district manager poked her bill in and micro-managed, some people were sucking up to her while the rest of us were looking for obscure corners to hide in from her moody attacks. I note that I am about 20 years older than this woman; I have NO problem working for younger people since I respect intelligence, competence and fairness, not merely age. And I have NO idea why anyone would feel that I am a threat: I'm easy-going, cooperative, and can accept correction and criticism when it's required and helpful.

But my pattern is NOT to confront, but rather to depart, which is what I've done. I'm truly saddened, because the only other job I enjoyed quite so much in my life was owning my own business with my late husband. This woman has driven off several good people in the short time I was there, and now she's driven me off as well. Perhaps someone above her will recognise that there is a pattern here; perhaps not. It's not my problem anymore. At least I DO know that I was not at fault here. No, I'm not perfect by any means, but I did my best, and everyone BUT her was more than pleased. I hope that, for this company's sake, this progression is stopped. Meanwhile, I will move on to greener pastures.
D.L.
27 September 2005
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I just left a job with a 60+ accounting firm because the managing partner was a bully. He was especially vicious, I think, because deep down he knows that he did not earn his position through merit, but is only in that position of power because his father started the firm.
I feel sorry for anyone that feels they must belittle someone in order to make themselves feel superior.
He made me believe that I hated my chosen profession, but now I am with a firm where I have yet to meet a bully in a position of power and realize it was just him and not the profession! Even though I took a pay cut to move I am much happier.
I urge anyone in that kind of position to move on.
J.A.M. CPA
26 September 2005
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I work for a director of a department in a small California company. My boss is quite definitely a bully. She tells me in a very aggressive manner with extremely intense eye contact how very important the work she is doing is and that my work must therefore be 'absolutely perfect' so that they in authority can make good decisions. But she herself makes glaring mistakes constantly which she doesn't seem to have any qualms about.

She's given me horrible reviews which have had the blessing of the personnel department. I currently can't get another position in the company because of these inaccurate reviews.

What's sad about this is I'm a great worker, conscientious, easy to have around, hard working, extremely smart and willing to be innovative and learn new things to help the company run more effectively.

But I'm leaving. But I�m right to think that what I have to offer is of value and that they're shooting themselves in the foot by treating me in such a manner.
H.S.
26 September 2005
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Wow! What an article. I wish I had seen it a few years ago when I went through tremendous turmoil because of a bully. The two-faced behaviors and manipulation were unbelievable. I was eventually fired for a very lame reason that I had strong grounds to sue for. But I took the 'professional' high road and moved on with my life. I'm in a wonderful job now; although I make much less financially, I have decent work-life balance, and I am truly appreciated for my contribution to the company. I hope in the future I can remember what I have learned from that incident, and MOVE ON as soon as it becomes evident that I am the victim of another bully. Life is too short.
More needs to be written about this issue and more importantly, how to deal with it directly, without resorting to the legal system.
L.J.R
23 September 2005
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Thank you for making people aware of workplace bullies and their tactics. For more than 2 years I worked for a very small CPA firm. In my situation, the bully was my immediate supervisor and also the managing partner. Unfortunately, I didn�t have the option of going �above� him. I was subjected to not just sarcastic remarks, but also to degrading remarks and jokes in front of the other partners, staff, and clients at our office and clients� offices. My boss had his �favorites� so it hurt more that he singled me out and I felt very alone when trying to talk to other staff about this problem. Eventually, I ended up leaving for another position. It wasn�t until I was in my new job that I realized how much stress I had been under and how depressed I was. Knowing that I never have to go back to that place is the best feeling in the world. I can sleep at night, I don�t break down in tears on my way home from work anymore, and my self-confidence is much higher. But after all this, what bothers me most is that I don�t think he has or ever will realize how much his behavior and words hurt me. As a CPA, his behavior wasn�t professional. As someone who declares himself to be a Christian, he was not Christ-like.
Katie B
23 September 2005
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I want to give hope to those under stress of a bully boss. I am a practicing CPA that had been a partner in a 30 plus CPA firm. As a partner group we would not tolerate a bully as it was counter productive to serving our clients. A number of abusive professional and non-professionals were asked to leave.
Currently I am practicing as a sole practioner but also acting as an inside tax and financial consultant to a large closely held group of companies. I am typically in the headquarters 3-4 hours a day.
It was brought to my attention that the recently hired controller was being very abusive to the long time staff of the accounting department. The controller had only been in the position for about a month. The persons in the department felt their only alternative would be to quit. I went to the owner and explained the problem and the controller was promptly released.
Let this serve as hope for those who speak out and serve as a warning to the bully that they better change or else.
J.M.
23 September 2005
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This article is great! I left my career at a local bank because the Controller, my boss was a bully. I approached her about her behavior and it got worse. I went to her boss and talked with him. When she found out (from him) she became intolerable. I finally could not take it any more and left. She had wiped out three of us. All of us had college degrees � she had a high school diploma. She had this other degreed gentlemen sent out of our department to another area in the bank.

Talk about walking on eggshells. She would walk in the door in the morning and each one of us would look at each other and ask �Who will it be today?�

Each one of us that left complained to the HR department and nothing was ever done. The stress is gone, my self confidence is back, and physically I feel so much better. If she only knew that two other people joined me on our venture to her boss�s office, they would be gone too. Usually once someone leaves the firm she is great for about 6 months, then she goes back to her usual behavior and picks on another person.

The only regret I have is putting her name down as my last supervisor. I am concerned that she will say something that will prevent me from getting another job. I guess I shouldn�t worry because I was promoted several times and I had excellent job reviews. Thank goodness upper level management saw this!
Thank you for the article,
Sandy
18 September 2005

WOW. I have left two very good positions within the last two years. The first position I held for nearly five years. The bully there however, was not in management at the time I left, but she was close friends with two of the partners of the firm. She was merely an employee with no degree in any field what so ever. She turned the two partners she was close to against anyone she did not like or felt threatened by. I will gladly help in any kind of petition or action for legislation to help put an end to this atrocity. I had come to the conclusion that it was not me, but was not aware how prevalent this was. Thank you for boosting my self esteem.
D.B.

11 September 2005
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I'm another victim with many more before and after me at my previous job. This is a financial services firm and the bully boss knows well how to divide-and-conquer the people who work there by bullying. I survived for many years but the cost is huge! Even long after I left the place, I still have this nervous feeling about anything I do or say at my workplace. Worse, I just cannot relax and be myself as I was before. I would say the best thing to do is leave the place where you're bullied. Better to make up your mind earlier than later - I've learned it the hard way.
Good luck and be strong!!!
Comrade S.

11 September 2005

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This article could not have come at a better time. Each of the comments written were exactly what is going on within my company; with one exception. In addition to everything you have written; my boss is using his position with the company; including using the company�s funds...to ensure he maintains certain friendships with certain females (2 of them). For example; he has given one of the ladies 4 (possibly 5) raises within the past 15 months. These raises come to a tune of more than $12,000. Her total salary has almost doubled since he took his position with the company, from $38K to more than $63K. Her work performance cannot/will not support these raises. The other lady was given only one raise during this time but received a salary raise from $36K to $44K. This person was given credit for work that others had performed.

I have a large amount of documentation; dates of incidents, his write ups and so forth. I plan on doing my very best to get the documentation in front of the right person (s). They say we can do this anonymously. My question to you is....What is the correct (legal) terminology for what he is doing?
V.R.

10 September 2005
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I am gladly retired after working for a woman bully for the major portion of my career. She was the only member of the department without a college education and overcompensated by being a harridan on the loose! And her behavior was consistently rewarded by management with promotions. Even after many complaints were filed against her, nothing changed. It's small comfort to know that others also have to endure this abuse on a daily basis. Your article highlighted the issues and specifically noted that occurrences should be documented in the event that HR is formally alerted. Thanks for a well-written piece.
ES

10 September 2005
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Your comment about bully women bosses was so correct- I had a terrible experience at the firm I was working at. My woman boss targeted me- another woman. She was a typical bully and one who promotes sycophancy. If you can�t be her �yes minister� you are out. I agree it is essential to be extra courteous and nice to your boss - but this dear lady expected her feet kissed! Well, I am wiser now � and know how to recognize the signs of bullying - but I do wish there was some company protection against it.
Hard working employee

9 September 2005
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Wow! I just realized that my last boss was a bully. How empowering to know it wasn't my fault but I was just the victim. My boss exhibited all the signs you mentioned in your article. I just thought he didn't like women in general but now I realize there is a name for it. Thank you so much for enlightening me and keep up the good work!
G.S.

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I would like to know why the upper management never does anything about the bosses (supervisors) being so nasty to everyone? It seems like everyone seems to wonder who the bully will go after today. And the day after. The whole office seems to be always walking on egg shells day after day hoping the bully doesn't go after them. It leads to very poor communication in an office setting. But it seems like the upper management doesn't want to do anything about it. Maybe they are afraid the bully will go after them.

Anybody have any ideas on how a situation like this can remedy itself?
C. J. B.

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The article addressed the signs and what a bully boss can do. But the major question that came to my mind is: What can you do about it? Other than quitting for being miserable, what does the employee do to counteract it?

That's would make the article worth something. This just confirmed what I knew and suspected about the subject. But, I have found nothing on a counteraction.
D.C.

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I worked for a bully, and she did everything within her managerial power to keep me for obtaining another position. She even acted unethically with clients about me. I filed complaints. I went all the way to upper management. Nothing happened and her behavior continued with more intensity. I terminated my employment giving no reason. I was very disappointed at the lack of support and lack of compliance with their own policies and procedures.
The Victim
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I thought I was losing my mind - until I read the article. I really thought I was out of my mind - but so did my associates. I really did enjoy the sanity of your taking the time to address the Bully issue.
Anonymous
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Thank you for the wonderful article! I had a wonderful resume that any accountant would give their last 10 beans for until I worked for two bully bosses in a row.

This has destroyed my resume, my self confidence, my financial well-being (ultimately causing me to file for federal bankruptcy protection) and pretty much my life. This type of abuse really needs to be added to the harassment laws.
K.J.
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I totally agree with the author. I have suffered workplace bullying and bullies normally gather other small bullies around them. Had I read this article before my exit I would have done as author has recommended.
M.M.
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My blood pressure dropped 10 points after I left the place where I was bullied. At work there, it might rise to a level that scared my doctor, at home it was always very good. It is even better now. This same boss drove at least one person to a medical retirement with an ambulance taking them away. This company has ambulances showing up weekly and the median age is only late 30's. It is a financial services company.

Workplace law is not on your side. Companies have not made the connection between increased healthcare costs and this kind of workplace abuse. This particular company simply changed their insurance plan mid year in a way that forced its workers to go out of network if they wanted to continue with their current doctor, and eliminated a lot of coverage that may have been made necessary by their own practices.

Eventually the word gets out about how difficult it is to work at a company like this and they can no longer hire quality personnel. Their retention and quality suffer, they will go out of business or be sold and chopped up because their clients do not have loyalty, they only care about the quality of the service they receive.
Anonymous
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Great article...Yes, I have been in two companies with the very type of managers. The females used subtle ways, and the men shouted. Looking back it went a lot deeper, and I do not wish to ever work for companies who employ as if it is a gladiator ring, and they are the spectators. Some companies have enough money to just use others for short term and have a 'get rid' of them attitude. Those seemed to be the ones left, the axe people, for they are bullies and in another respect, whipping boys and girls for the upper management. In all regards they are NOTHING, but they do keep a pay check coming.

Is it the same all over the country, or in certain fields and areas is it more common?
D.P.
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I appreciate this article so much...of course because I'm writing you know that I was a victim of this workplace bullying, by a single woman and I am a single woman. The sad part is that I had to leave the organization and I loved my job. This particular boss is currently engaged to marry HER boss, so it's clear to me now the reason she was so intimidated.

If there are surveys I can fill out on this topic, please let me know! I would love to be part of an on-going effort to expose such behavior.

Thanks again,
Linda O.
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I just wanted to say thank you for your article on Bully Bosses. Back in 2003 I joined an association that regulates brokers in the financial markets, and ran into a boss who was a bully. Reading your article made me reflect back and compare my experiences to your comments and statistics. Ironically enough, my boss at the time was a woman who exhibited all of the characteristics you listed: '... belittle your opinions; spread malicious gossip about you; exclude you from meetings; make sarcastic remarks when you speak; take credit for your successes and make you the scapegoat for his failures... probably a consummate politician, toadying up to his superiors who would then be incapable of believing such a jolly good fellow could do such nasty things.' I ultimately decided to leave the company and start my own consulting firm after desperately trying to engage HR, and exploring a potential law suit. But, as you pointed out, my options were limited within the company, and there wasn't much legal ground to stand on.

Unfortunately, my wife has recently discovered that her new boss is a bully. She exhibits all of the characteristics I listed above, and my wife is at her wits end trying to figure out what to do. I have forwarded your article unto her so she knows she is not alone and that Bully Bosses are everywhere.

Warren
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Oh-my-God!

I have a very close friend who in the last year has had to go on medication for hypertension. He is one of the hardest-working, most ethical, detail-oriented, conscientious, even-handed�I could go on. Needless to say, I sent this article to him directly because all I�ve heard is how his manager constantly pulls the rug out from under him as well as many others in the whole department. They�ve already lost at least five people in the last six months from that department alone, leaving them understaffed and further stressed.

It is incredibly difficult to distance oneself from the pressures of a bully who is your manager and put your own health and well-being first. This is what I�m hoping he will be able to do so he can last long enough to get full pension benefits. And in the process, if he can right the wrongs and improve the office environment that would be wonderful.

What a choice! Your money or your health! Great article! Right on the mark!

Heather Rogers
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A well-researched and written article that is as timely as it can be and yet 35 years late in coming.

Since we live in a litigious society that has embraced 'Political Correctness' to its nth degree, as a religious mantra, this was both a brave and timely article to write.
Anonymous
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This article is very timely, very important. The individuals caught up in this spiral feel that they cannot win - turn the other cheek and it will continue� stand up and fight and one risks greater punishment, or loss of job. I suspect there is more of this �out there� than we can imagine. A serious chat room or e-mail center to discuss this syndrome would be of value.

A friend of mine from Harvard writes �..the five �Ds� in disastrous management: demean, denigrate, dominate, deflate, and destroy..�

Thank you for publishing your article.
Jim
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You might write one on the governmental management bullies: I just finished a job with one at the DOI/AMD and while I have been given plenty of places to file a suit, I don't want to because once suing is in the air, people don't want to hire you. I did write things down. My contract manager did go to bat for me, but in the long run, not one thing happened to the bully. I was the 5th person to be treated that way by her! When I finally got a copy of the contract, I found she broke every single paragraph except one!
P.L.
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Your article gave me some relief knowing that there really are disrespectful bosses out there. That it is not me who is incompetent. I prefer to work things out with co-workers and subordinates in a more respectful way. But then again, I am the one without a good job. Thanks for the article.
D.M.M
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Your article is very good at explaining bullying behavior. Over 8 years ago I had to end my career as an Auditor/Accounting Systems Analyst with the State because of vicious bully tactics. I was forced to become a whistle blower to protect myself from being blamed for massive financial mismanagement and fraud. Four months later the person responsible was promoted. I was told that he was untouchable because he knew where all the skeletons were kept. I was prevented from transferring. A manager tried to hire me and was prevented from doing so. The Business Agent of the labor union helped management. I went through bankruptcy and foreclosure. A miserable experience.
Jonn
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Thank you so much for addressing this issue. My 21 year old daughter was so stressed about a bully boss on her job that she had tears in her eyes, and was so discouraged that she was ready to quit! Most of her consternation came from the fact that the people over the bully would not address the bully or the issue! I told her to start keeping a journal, and finding other co-workers who were being harrassed by the bully. She did both, and reported the bully to HR.

This is just another form of workplace violence, and it should be stopped immediately! No wonder people go 'postal' and kill in the workplace! They may have been the victim of a bullying boss! Thanks again for your article.
C.P.
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