The majority of adult citizens of the country have labor relations. This means that every day they enter into communications with superiors, subordinates, and colleagues.
Spending a significant part of his life at work, a person would like to count on a comfortable environment. But often good relationships with colleagues and management become unattainable; some bosses violate business ethics standards, allow themselves to raise their voices at employees, and are outright rude. Are there legal ways to deal with this problem?
Why might a boss yell?
Maybe he's trying to force you to quit or is just a boor? Let's consider different situations.
When applying for a job, an employee expects to see a competent boss, an excellent professional and just a good person who will coordinate and check the work performed. But sometimes all hopes for professional cooperation with the boss are dashed against the rocks of rudeness, shouting and insults. In general, does a director have the right to shout at an employee?
The employee, first of all, is at a loss from such actions, but perhaps there is a reason for such a reaction from the boss. As a rule, through such psychological influence, the boss tries to achieve the dismissal of the employee at his own request. Thus, avoiding additional proceedings regarding unjustified dismissal on our part.
The employee, having experienced psychological pressure, does not want to stay to continue the employment relationship with this boss.
Please note that forcing an employee to resign is grounds for contacting the labor inspectorate and conducting an appropriate inspection. In your application to the labor inspectorate, you must indicate your place of work, details of the employment contract, your contact information and, if available, evidence of insults and humiliation (audio recordings, written evidence).
What if we look at the boss’s actions from a different angle? What if he is a boor by nature?
Of course, it is unpleasant to endure such an attitude, but quitting because of the rudeness of your boss and looking for a job during an economic crisis is also a hasty decision. Attempts should be made to ignore the boorish behavior of the boss. Perhaps you should accept this point as a fact and not take rudeness personally.
But you must remember that if a manager insults and humiliates you , then this is already a reason to bring him to administrative responsibility.
The real reason for the dissatisfaction
The average employee prefers not to enter into open conflict. This is what nagging bosses take advantage of. Many people quit without ever trying to correct the situation.
It is important
Assess the conflict from the outside. If there are unfounded accusations, open anger and other “delights” of unprofessional labor relations, it’s time to act.
Ask your boss for a confidential conversation. Finding out the reasons in a calm environment can solve a problematic situation.
You will need to prepare for this meeting. Make a rough plan for the conversation. Think about what your boss might ask or answer. Go into the conversation in a calm frame of mind. You should not have the goal of pointing out to the manager his incompetence or accusing him of personal vices. Find out the real reason for the dissatisfaction.
Start by describing the situation. There is no need for long, plaintive stories about difficult working days. A few striking facts or situations (that took place) will say much more. Here is an example of such a conversation.
- Good afternoon. I want to talk about the current situation. I have been working at company N for several years now. I see prospects for my own growth, and I really like working in a team where there is mutual help and understanding. But a certain misunderstanding has arisen in our working relationship. (List several facts that most clearly demonstrate this).
– What kind of misunderstanding are you talking about? You are disgusting at your work responsibilities...
Here it is necessary to interrupt and ask to explain what the boss means. Remember to remain calm and respectful. If you were wrong, don't be afraid to admit it. Shifting the blame to others and being in complete denial will only anger your boss even more.
As a result of the conversation, you should find out the reasons that prevent you from “living together” and propose solutions. This conversation is not easy, but it is necessary to have it.
If a compromise is not found, then you should seriously think about changing jobs. There is another option - contact higher management or special authorities. But this is unlikely to bring the long-awaited calm and relief of tension.
In other cases, the boss will seriously think about the following points:
- you are not a helpless and cowardly employee, but a person capable of defending your interests;
- he may lose a valuable employee due to the fact that he clearly “goes too far”;
- his accusations were unfounded for a number of reasons that he did not know before (the information was presented incorrectly or did not exist at all).
How can you resolve a conflict with your boss?
To resolve a conflict with superiors, it is necessary first of all to negotiate and find out the circumstances that cause shouting, insults and humiliation of the employee. Suppose that the employer is not satisfied with the professional qualities of the employee, then it is necessary to find out how to correct the situation. You should discuss with your boss the insults you received and ask not to repeat them in the future.
As a rule, when eliminating shortcomings in an employee’s work activity, the employer no longer has reasons to raise his tone, shout and humiliate him.
But, unfortunately, there are cases when the confrontation between the two sides of the labor relationship continues and is accompanied by humiliation and insult to the employee.
An unhappy person in the family is a tyrant at work
Another common reason is family and personal difficulties. When you feel inadequate in your personal life, you lash out at your subordinates.
— We were interviewed by a woman about 50 years old, a financial director. She interviewed candidates for a financial analyst position. So, she calmly talked with the first two candidates and suddenly attacked the third for no apparent reason. She began to ask difficult questions, to find fault, to distort. And when the door closed behind the girl, the director answered my silent question, expressed in her gaze: “I can’t help it. I know I’m wrong, but she looks so much like my daughter-in-law!” This is a manifestation of internal accumulated aggression, says Natalya Storozheva.
If your boss constantly insults you
Insulting an employee in the workplace is an action of the boss, which will not in any way affect the employee’s better work performance, is not a factor in the manifestation of his professionalism, but can become the basis for bringing him to justice.
If your boss insults and humiliates you at work, you should first resort to negotiations, discussions and other peaceful ways to resolve the conflict situation. There is a chance that by finding out all the details, you will settle the conflict.
If there is no consensus, you should take a stand to protect your rights. After all, insulting and humiliating an employee is a direct violation of the Constitution of the Russian Federation . The Basic Law of our state does not allow humiliation of the honor and dignity of an individual and pursues these actions with legislative acts. Insulting a person is a humiliation of his honor and dignity.
If there is a superior manager above the boss who is showing insults and humiliation towards you, you should contact him with a complaint and describe the conflict that has arisen. If there is no higher management and a direct appeal to the boss does not bring results, you must contact the following authorities:
- Labour Inspectorate;
- police;
- prosecutor's office;
- court.
For more information on how and where to file a complaint against an employer, read the article at the link.
When sending an appeal to the above authorities, as a rule, a check is first carried out for violation of rights, and if the fact of violation is confirmed, the guilty party is held accountable in accordance with current regulations.
What not to do
The most important thing is not to argue or try to offend the manager. Let them speak out, and after some time in private, clarify the reason if it was not obvious at first glance. Let's move on to the points that are contraindicated in a conflict situation.
- Don't discuss your boss's behavior with your colleagues. Decency is a relative thing. Today you and your colleague complained about what a tyrant and dictator your boss is, and tomorrow in the management’s office he will complain that you do not comply with corporate ethics.
- Don't curry favor with your boss. You should not be scattered with apologies and compliments. Remember your self-esteem. Tell them that you have rights too. In some cases, working overtime or giving gifts can make your boss even angrier. In addition, an illegal director will simply use your services.
- Don't imitate your boss. Do not shout back, do not use obscene language, do not threaten to sue or fire. This will only add fuel to the fire. It is worth understanding that a boss can make an employee’s life harder in completely legal ways. For example, deprivation of a bonus or dismissal.
- Don't think about the conflict . In some cases there is no opportunity or desire to change jobs. Replay the situation in your head over and over again. Thinking about how it was necessary to respond in order to put the boss under siege, and even more so to do something with him. Find a hobby. Take frequent breaks or spend time with your family. Let go of the situation.
During a conflict, call the person by name . Psychologists recommend doing this at least 7 times. However, it all depends on the type of boss. In some cases, this will only anger the manager.
How to prove the fact of insult
One of the key circumstances when writing an appeal is the evidence base. To prove insult and humiliation, an employee must provide :
- audio recordings;
- video recordings;
- written documents;
- witness's testimonies.
If there is a fact of written insult, these letters and notes should be attached. As a rule, insults are accompanied by the uttering of words that humiliate the honor and dignity of a person. Repeated accompanying humiliations should be recorded on a tape recorder or indicated in a witness statement.
The application must include the information of the applicant, contact information, a description of the conflict situation, evidence of insult and humiliation, and contact information of the boss.
We also recommend reading the articles:
The procedure and timing for consideration of the application by the prosecutor's office.
How to write and submit a police report.
Responsibility and sanctions for superiors
An employee, having endured repeated humiliation and insults, rudeness and prejudice, ultimately wants a speedy resolution of the conflict and bringing the offender to justice.
After contacting the above authorities for the protection of one’s rights, the process of reviewing the situation begins, studying the evidence presented and, if there is a violation of the employee’s rights, holding them accountable.
According to the norms of current legislation, an employer may be held administratively liable for insulting an employee ( Administrative Code of the Russian Federation, Article 5.61 ) . This provision provides for a fine of 10,000 to 30,000 rubles.
Resolution of a conflict situation between an employee and a boss in law enforcement agencies, the labor inspectorate and in court occurs within the time limits specified by regulations. It is necessary to take into account that the time frame for considering the situation of insulting an employee varies , and sometimes the issue of bringing the boss to justice hangs in the air for a long time.
According to current civil law, an employee can make claims for compensation for moral damage by filing a claim in court. The provisions of the Criminal Code provide for liability for threats of violence, causing harm to life and health.
Thus, if, when insulting, the boss used threats to life or health , then it is necessary to contact the police with a demand to take action and hold the employer accountable. A sample statement about a threat to life and health can be found here.
What to do if your boss is being mean to you at work? It is necessary to act and remember that bringing a manager to justice for his insults and boorish attitude towards an employee is quite possible and is provided for by law.
The established positive judicial practice of holding a manager accountable for the above actions confirms that the law is aimed at protecting the violated rights of employees. Of course, cases of appeal are isolated, but their decisions are in favor of workers .
Personal enmity - what is the reason?
What to do if your boss bullies and humiliates your honor and dignity? It doesn't matter what the reason for this behavior is. This is unacceptable. But do not go into open conflict, do everything delicately, observing the limits of decency.
Advice
If you start insulting, getting personal and blaming your boss, what will you say better than him?
The main reasons (and more often reasons) for nagging in the presence of personal hostility from superiors are the following situations.
- Failure to comply with the dress code. The attention of the authorities is focused on you, do not be surprised by this situation. The boss's claims are often unfounded (unless you suddenly decide to surprise everyone with a chic neckline). Do not give a reason to reproach you for inconsistency. You can publicly measure the length of your skirt or read out the dress code rules. If this is an isolated incident, turn it into a joke and say that this will not happen again.
- Lack of subordination. Learn to restrain yourself even in the most unpleasant situations. The boss deliberately challenges you to conflict. You must respond with dignity to all attacks directed at you. If you were reproached for insubordination, but this was not the case, reasoned and calmly explain the necessity and correctness of your chosen tactics.
- Frequently arriving late and leaving early. Remember the clauses of the employment contract. You get paid for the hours you work. Don't allow yourself to be treated this way. Here the boss has every right to apply penalties or reprimand.
- Scandalous gossip. They can come from anyone, but the bosses will sincerely believe in them. The boss has neither the time nor the desire to figure out their veracity on his own. So find a convenient time and explain that this is a lie. There are no guarantees that they will believe you, but you should definitely try. You shouldn’t wait for your boss to call you to such a conversation; work proactively.
- Reluctance to help the organization. Quite an abstract accusation. Don't be afraid to get specific and find out what you're doing wrong. Remind them to perform their job duties responsibly. Often such claims come from perfectionists, therefore, adequacy tends to zero.
