MANAGING A BULLYING BOSS

Workplace bullying by a boss can have many negative effects on the employee. Bullying can affect an employee's morale, bring on depression, self doubt and can lower an employee's self esteem which can carry over to his/her personal life.
According to Lynn Taylor, a national workplace expert and Andy Teach, author of "From graduation to corporation", here are how to deal with a bully of "the manageable variety" with episodic flare up versus a "lawsuit-worthy bully"

• Early intervention: Pay close attention to early warning signs that your usual mild-mannered boss is about to turn to a bully. For example, if your boss resorts to bullying under stress, try to minimize the stress factor. When in doubt, if you notice a warning sign, get out of the way until things cool off.
• Set limits: Do not be a matyr and work unreasonable hours or accept discorteos behaviour. You wont do yourself or your company any good, Taylor says.
• Being able to say "no" can be quite liberating and might even earn you some respect from bully boss.
• Speak to your co-workers: Is your boss only bullying you or do they do it to all of their employees?. If you are the only one being bullied, is it because you are not doing your job properly or is it something personal? It may be simply that your boss doesnt like you. Ask your co-workers for advice on how to handle the situation, Teach suggests.
• Use positive reinforcement: When your bullying boss treats you with rsspect, thank her for her kindness.
• Become a role model of good citizenship yourself, displaying unwavering courtesy to your boss. If you have to, overdo it to send the message. "Never fight fire with fire", dont act like a bully in response to bulling. Remaining calm when your boss cant will help him see the light.
• Your Human resources department: When all else fails, speak your HR department. Keep in mind that while they will listen to you, it doesnt necessarily mean they will take action or will be on your side. If the boss gets good result, HR may overlook their bullying tactics.           
• If your boss is abusive, garner suppor: If your boss is truly out of control, bordering on abusive, seek assistance from co-workers, other managers and/or outside the council. If confronting your bullying boss directly is not an option, go to a higher level manager or a human resource manger and present your concerns. Be honest and be prepared to give examples of the above bullying behaviour. It usually takes more than one person to topple a bully but with outside support, you have a chance. If all fails and the job is simply untenable, then it's time to visit your favourite job board and start networking and searching.
  
  
  The bottom line is that if you are being bullied at work and your employer isnt doing anything about it, you owe it to yourself to do what you can to try and stop it. All these depends on you afterall, take a hard look at the big picture and decide your tolerance level.