It happens sooner or later in our careers that we are confronted with a bad boss, a person who, in one way or another, does things that are frustrating or upsetting. How should you handle such a situation?

The first thing to do is evaluate the problem. How bad is the situation? Is it something you can tolerate and muddle through? Do you think there is any chance that it will somehow change in the future? After consideration, if you feel that the situation is intolerable and is severely impacting your work and health, it is obvious that you have to do something about it. Doing nothing in the hope that it will somehow go away is not an option because it won’t go away. Odds are that it will only get worse.

To try and solve the situation, one thing you can do is simply talk to your supervisor about it. In a respectful but firm manner, you need to make clear to your boss that you find his or her behavior demeaning and wounding, and ask him or her to stop it and to treat you with a little more courtesy.

If you get a positive response and your supervisor does make efforts to change his or her behavior, then the problem is solved. If, however, the response is negative, and you end up annoying your boss even more, you at least will get some idea of where you really stand, and a better of idea of your boss’ s true character.

At this point, you need to stand up for your rights. Everyone has a legal right to a safe and secure place of work. Workers also have the right to be treated with a certain amount of respect. So, if you are being somehow harassed at work, or treated in some way that causes you to fear for your safety, you need to push back.

At this point it is also time to go to others for help. Talk to your friends and colleagues about the situation and see what they have to say. You may also have to go to human resources to let them know about the situation. Also, you may need to go to your boss’s supervisor as well and let him or her know what it going on.

Finally, if after doing everything you can to change the situation hasn’t worked, it is time to start thinking about leaving. Naturally, this is not something to be taken lightly. Talk it over with people you know. Consider your options carefully. But if you see no alternative, set a specific date sometime in the near future for when you will resign, and work toward arranging things for when that time comes.

If you are looking for work, send your resume to a recruiter at Winston Resources. We can help you get connected with some of New York City’s best employers. Contact us today