Make
your protest known. Do not be cowed down by their attitude – if you
think they have been unfair to you, request a meeting with them and
discuss the matter without arguing or getting emotional.
1) The shout-and-scream boss: Some
bosses lose their tempers very quickly, and they deal with their
tempers by raging and shouting. “No person can raise his voice on
anybody at work, especially if he is a senior,” says Prajakta Sule, an
HR professional. “If your boss yells at you, remain silent and don’t
answer in more than monosyllables. Do not look at the ground as if you
are guilty, make eye contact. When he or she calms down, pretend that
the shouting episode didn’t happen at all. Your calmness will probably
shame your boss into not repeating such behaviour again.”
2) The curt and rude boss: Smriti
Goradia worked at a fashion magazine in Mumbai, where her boss never
spoke to the staff. “Whenever you requested five minutes, she would
curtly say she didn’t have time to spare. You couldn’t discuss anything
with her.” Such bosses tend to put up a wall around themselves so that
they don’t have to deal with pressing matters. “The way to approach an
unapproachable boss is to politely ask what time they would be free for a
short meeting. Promptly arrive at the time that they give, and say what
you have to say in a few sentences. As a follow up to the meeting,
instead of approaching them again, email them or text them on their
mobile,” Prajakta says.
3) The no-you-can’t-have-a-holiday boss: There
are bosses who never sanction leave for their employees, no matter how
urgent the need. “It was always ‘No, you can’t go on leave,” Smriti
recalls. “A colleague once had to leave town urgently for
a family emergency, but my boss said that leave would not be sanctioned.
Finally, her pay was cut for the week that she went on leave.” No boss
can refuse to grant you leave if you have enough leaves pending, and if
you are giving sufficient notice. “Sick leaves can never be refused. For
long leaves, a sufficient notice helps,” says Foram Engineer*, an HR
professional with a national newspaper. “If your boss refuses to grant
leave and tries to cut the number of days of holiday, remind him or her
that you need the full number of days that you applied for and that you
have pending leaves. When you apply for leave, CC a copy to your HR head
as well.” There are bosses who do not sanction compensatory leaves for
overtime. “Again, remind them that you worked on a holiday or after
hours. As such, they cannot refuse your request,” says Foram.
4) The exclusive boss: These
bosses normally have a sycophantic clique comprising their favourite
colleagues, and everyone else is an object of derision. “Such bosses
will promote only their clique, praise only those within the circle and
be nasty to everyone else. Though it is unfair to be passed over for a
promotion or a pay raise, you just have to grin and bear it,” says
Foram. “Make your protest known. Do not be cowed down by their attitude –
if you think they have been unfair to you, request a meeting with them
and discuss the matter without arguing or getting emotional. State all
the facts, discuss your performance, and make a case for why you should
be rewarded.”
5) The public shaming boss: These
bosses insult the staff in full hearing of the office, use offensive
language and never have a kind word to say to anyone. “This type of boss
is drunk on his or her power in the office. The behaviour stems from
insecurity or a sense of persecution from employees, especially if he or
she is aware of personal shortcomings,” says Prajakta. “When the
language gets abusive, draw the line yourself. It may not improve his
behaviour, but at least you will have made yourself clear. If the
behaviour continues, go to his superior of the HR head and lodge a
complaint.” However, lodging a complaint against one’s boss is also
considered unacceptable, so keep it as a last resort.
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