In honor of National Bosses Day on Thursday, some facts about bosses and those who work for them:
A third of American workers spend at least 20 hours a month in the office complaining about their boss, according to a recent study in Human Resource Executive magazine.
Employees working for a bad boss were 30 percent more likely to develop coronary heart disease than those who did not, according to a Finnish study.
A Gallup poll estimates American corporations lose $360 billion a year due to lost productivity from employees who are dissatisfied with their boss.
So, if you’ve got a good boss, thank him or her.
One Comment
Employees at whatever level are internal customers of an organization or company that deserve respect and appreciation for their contribution as much as external customers who buy the goods and services.
Bad bosses result from poor screening practices, a tolerance by top management for mistreatment of employees, and a broken system that places unqualified people in positions of authority and responsibility. They poison the work environment, reduce performance, quality, and productivity, create turnover, foster a hostile work environment, and damage the integrity of the business. However, one person’s bad boss is another’s relative, friend or colleague who may not be aware a problem exists.
It is sad to see adults in those positions act like three year old children throwing temper tantrums, manipulating people for selfish or stupid reasons, or doing jobs for which they have no qualification, experience or ability. It is even sadder to work for them. There is no formula answer to this problem. It cannot be solved by blaming, accusing, condemning, or mistreating the bad boss. That’s just more childish behavior.
It does beg the question… what can an employee do to report the condition in a safe way, and be protected from retaliation, retribution, or termination? It would make a great case study.
Until it is addressed effectively, adults behaving like children will continue to break the peace.