Bad Boss — Unhealthy!

Having a jerk as your boss not only leads to bad working days, but also increases your risk of developing all sorts of health problems as warned by Swedish researchers.

The research found a strong link between poor leadership and the risk of serious heart disease and heart attacks among more than 3,000 employed men. And the effect may be cumulative – the risk went up the longer an employee worked for the same company, say researchers.

Bad bosses — whether ogres, control freaks, jerks, micromanagers, or bumbling fools — can be found in all organizations. Pop culture loves to make fun of bad bosses, from the pointy-haired boss in the Dilbert comic strip, to the completely insipid boss from the British import “The Office,” to the anal-compulsive and mean boss of the movie Office Space… but bad bosses are no laughing matter when you have to face him or her every working day. And, unfortunately, with the rightsizing of the last several years, there are probably more overworked and undertrained bosses than ever. It’s also possible, though, that bad bossing is just part of today’s corporate culture.

The worst thing you can do is simply to do nothing, hoping the problems will get resolved. No job, boss, or company is worth losing your health, sanity, or self-esteem. If you can’t find a way to resolve these issues and/or your boss simply will never change his/her behavior, you should immediately start working your network and begin looking for a new job — within or outside the organization. Again, if you love the company, a transfer might be the best option — but keep in mind that your boss might be as evil as to sabotage that transfer. And try not to quit before you find a new job, but again, if work just becomes too unbearable, you may need to consider quitting to save yourself.

Tags: Boss, Health, Jerks, Work

Category: Business, Lifestyle