My boss bullies me at work, what should I do?

My supervisor has a habit of bullying me at work. I find his actions quite disturbing and I do not know how to handle this better. Please advise.

Bosses are a necessary evil at work. They have the prerogative to influence decisions since they are charged with directing and controlling resources. They are also required to plan for the organisation- they can influence who gets a pay rise and those who should be fired.
Many employees envy such titles and would do whatever it takes to get them. Unfamiliar to such minds, though, is the fact that leadership is a responsibility and not all about being bossy. As Dr Steven Covey, an American author, put it; “effective leadership is putting first things first.”

Bullying, whether by the boss or workmates, is unethical and many organisations are trying to deal with it. It intoxicates the workplace. Imagine, a junior who wakes up every day to worry about bullying instead of working to improve performance?
This makes the vice a counterproductive behaviour, which affects productivity. No employee, however low, they might be in rank, will desire to be tormented. On the contrary, the results are different when the boss is considerate and all embracing - he or she points out work-related issues with the affected subordinates and encourages them to do more. And instead of criticising, plays along with the team to achieve set targets.

However, for a junior, instead of sulking, you can do more by assessing issues at hand and acting professionally - assess your contribution to the organisation and how actively you are engaged, have a chat with your supervisor to let him know how you feel about his actions. If that fails, then you can contact the HR office or later, consider quitting although this should be the last option.

Isaiah Kitimbo
HR Specialist & Journalist
Monitor Publications Limited
[email protected]