Studies have shown that the stress that a person regularly receives in the process of work, over time, leads him to prolonged depression, the risk of heart problems, and cancer. Such consequences are especially dangerous for people who are responsible and have strong feelings about their superiors’ reaction to their work. They are the ones who are most nervous at work, which means they put themselves at risk more than other employees.
But how can you stop worrying if your boss constantly shouts and demands that complex tasks be completed in the shortest possible time, colleagues are constantly “washing up bones” and gossiping on every corner, and the work itself is impossibly boring and monotonous? Let's figure it out.
Causes of anxiety at work
CONTENT:
Stressful influences not only affect an employee’s productivity, but also their overall well-being. Psychologists have identified a number of common reasons that can turn going to work into an ordeal. These include:
Too much work
Some managers do not know how to correctly assess the labor potential of their employee and literally overwhelm him with all sorts of assignments and tasks. As a result, a person quickly loses interest in activities, feels tired and exhausted, he does not get enough sleep and when he comes to his workplace he dreams of only one thing - to get home faster.
Too little work
As paradoxical as it may sound, a small number of work responsibilities also negatively affects the individual. He begins to doubt his value to the company, becomes frustrated by his precarious position in the social hierarchy, and constantly fears being fired.
Inconsistency in management instructions
If a company has several bosses, each of whom sees the work process differently, then this often ends with the employee not understanding what the bosses want from him. In psychology, this is called role conflicts, and the usual reaction to them in an ordinary employee is stress and a feeling of depression.
Monotonous activity
Experts have found that people who do interesting and useful work are less nervous at work than those who consider their work a boring and thankless task. Indeed, monotonous, event-less work is fraught with consequences in the form of stress disorders in the employee. He constantly longs for time to pass faster, and therefore remains in a permanent state of mental tension, expressed in the form of existential emptiness and low self-esteem.
"Toxic" team
In some cases, the cause of unnecessary unrest at work is malicious and vindictive colleagues who create conflicts out of nowhere and try to solve personal problems at the expense of other employees. Finding a person in such a society quickly leads to a devaluation of professional qualities and a negative perception of oneself as a “scapegoat.” As a result, he will think less about work, worrying about his survival surrounded by such mental “sharks” and “snakes”.
Authoritarianism and intemperance of management
If a manager constantly monitors his subordinates in the hope of catching them not following the rules of the organization, shouts at them to his heart's content, indulging in his own importance, and also allows himself to have an unethical and cynical attitude towards employees, then his employees are unlikely to be able to boast of a strong nervous system.
So, having found out the factors that provoke nervousness at work, let’s move on to directly solving the problem.
Provide psychological distance from these mistakes
Since rumination is an obstacle that exists entirely in your head, reprogramming your thought processes can neutralize their negative results and help you move forward productively. First of all, it is important to create some psychological distance for yourself by looking at the stressful situation from the outside.
“One way to begin to bridge this distance is to become aware of what is running through your thoughts and feelings. So instead of saying, “I am inadequate,” you can say, “I feel that I am inadequate.” You might even be more reckless about it: "Oh, it's just my anxious mind overheating again," advises HBR.
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How not to be nervous about an angry boss at work: psychological recommendations
Experts agree that the bitterness of management is the first reason for the unnecessary nerves and anxiety experienced by the employee. A person may tolerate the boss’s antics due to the fear of losing his job and the thought that “others tolerate it, and I will tolerate it.” However, such a strategy is fraught with both psychological and physical disorders. There are two ways out of the situation - either quit or change your attitude to the situation.
But if you can “leave slamming the door” at any moment, then staying and overcoming difficulties is more difficult, but there are also more advantages from this. Besides, no one guarantees you that at the next job the boss won’t be even angrier than he is now. Let's find out what psychologists suggest to do when faced with a similar problem:
- Put yourself in the boss's shoes . Managers often live in an atmosphere of constant lack of time, and this contributes to the emergence of irritability and anger, which they pour out on the employee who comes along. Try to treat your boss's outbursts of anger more calmly, as an inevitable but harmless event. Let him scream if he feels better, and at this time you smile internally and do not show that you are afraid of him. Over time, the boss will understand that you are not a “whipping boy”, and therefore will switch to a less balanced colleague.
- See the boss as an ordinary person . Yes, your boss is a person just like you. He also doesn’t always have time to drink coffee before work, his shoelaces may come undone in a crowded place, or he may get his tie tangled while eating. Awareness of the leader’s “ordinariness” will help you experience his attacks not as a disaster, but as evidence of weakness.
- Look for the reason for what is happening within yourself . If your boss often snaps at you, then ask yourself, “Why did he choose me to attack?” Perhaps something in your behavior irritates him? Or are you regularly late for work? Or do you like to chat with colleagues during working hours? If this is the case, then simply change your destructive habits and your manager’s attitude towards you will immediately change for the better.
- Voice your complaints . Oddly enough, this method really works. Sometimes it is enough for a boss to hear a straightforward confession from an employee in order to correct his own behavior. Therefore, do not be afraid and directly tell him that you are very worried about the constant fear of being punished.
- Threaten with dismissal . If you are a highly qualified specialist in your field, then one of the methods of influencing your boss may be the threat of dismissal. However, it must be served in the most delicate form possible. For example: “Yakov Borisovich, I respect you as a person and a leader, but if you don’t stop yelling at me, then keep in mind that I will submit my resignation today.”
Spell for success during testing
Draw three equal triangles on a blank piece of paper. Connect their corners alternately with lines, in such a sequence that six lines come out from each corner. Read the following prayer:
Fold the sheet six times and hide it in your work area. No one should see him, much less find him. And under no circumstances unfold the sheet. Otherwise, the magic will dissipate and will not be able to help you during the check.
Conspiracy for success
Unhealthy atmosphere in a team: how to maintain nerves and peace
Sometimes the source of nervousness at work is colleagues who trip up a person and annoy him with nagging, gossip and unrealistic expectations. You can preserve the nervous system in such an atmosphere in the following ways:
- Realize that it is not your fault that your colleagues are bad people . And do not try to change them, as they will not appreciate your attempts to be a source of enlightenment and prudence. Therefore, come to terms with what is happening and feel like an explorer who has found himself in the wild jungle. This will significantly weaken the impact of any provocations on you.
- Find allies . It is easier to resist the bad influence of the team in tandem with one of the employees. If a lonely person is an ideal target for attacks, then two people who mutually support each other are no longer so easily angered.
- Don't react to inappropriate behavior . Psychologists recommend that those who are constantly “harrassed” at work learn “psychological aikido,” that is, agree with any accusations without any emotional reaction. To put it simply, live according to the wisdom “the dogs bark, but the caravan moves on.”
- Avoid gossip . Discussion among colleagues is a rust that slowly eats away any team from the inside. Schemers indulge their ego by gossiping about other people and savoring the details of their personal lives. They gain confidence with the help of affection and flattery, presenting secrets to others in exchange for mutual revelations. As a result, after some time, everyone in the team hates each other, and the gossiper benefits from others’ hatred, thereby strengthening his position in the hierarchy of the organization.
Rules for using check spells
Troubles at work are not a “black streak” in your life. It doesn't end there. For some professions, inspection is routine and workers have long been accustomed to it. And for some this is a serious life test. And here the main thing is to distinguish between these two concepts. This is necessary in order to understand what prayer you need to apply in the current situation.
If checks at work occur quite often at your place, you should use prayers that make checks appear more rarely. With their help, you can ensure that inspection organizations will come to you much less often. They won't bother you over trifles.
And if you are checked very rarely, you should be afraid that you will be checked more thoroughly and thoroughly. This is where you need to work hard. You will need to apply the prayer against nagging.
An auditor is coming to visit us
4Don't forget about yourself
If you burn out emotionally at work or develop hypertension, who will appreciate it? That's right, no one cares about this, everyone lives in their own personal world. Therefore, do not let life pass you by, do not deny yourself the pleasure of taking a vacation or a day off and spending it with your family in nature. This will strengthen your psyche and eliminate the risk of overwork.
In conclusion, I would like to say that it is impossible to completely get rid of anxiety at work. But a person can always make the impact of stress on himself as insignificant as possible. To do this, it is enough to carefully monitor your condition, relate to problems more easily and not focus on negative events.
Article updated: 05/14/2020
Low salary
Psychologists say the main reason for reluctance to go to work is low pay. No matter how hard it is for us, knowing that we will receive a worthy reward in the end gives us strength and calms us down. We know why and what we are trying for.
What to do?
- Talk to your boss. You can't solve the payment issue, but management can.
- Salaries are increased for those who ask. Firstly, the director does not have time to think about all 30 subordinates. Secondly, this is the principle of economy, if everyone works and the work is done, then everything is in balance. Therefore, you need to come and say: “I have a loan, a family, I plan to develop, take courses and for a comfortable emotional state, so that I can invest more in work and not think I need such and such a salary.”
How to get rid of emotional overload
No matter how hard a person tries to maintain equanimity and calm, sooner or later the moment comes when emotions are ready to burst out like an explosion. It is simply impossible to always control yourself and the situation. Therefore, it is important to learn to restrain yourself and regain your balance.
Quite simple actions can help you stay calm.
- One or more deep breaths in and out.
- Massage of hands and neck.
- Fresh air.
Deep breathing helps bring order to the state not only in case of anger, but also in many others. Having cooled your ardor slightly, you can focus on analyzing the situation and finding solutions to existing problems.
Massage movements in the areas of the neck and hands help a person relieve excess tension and regain the ability to think clearly and see the situation clearly. When performing such a light soothing massage, you need to massage two points on the neck, which are located on opposite sides of the spine. On the hands, massage the entire palm and each finger separately from the rest.
Fresh air is equally effective in helping to calm down. If it is not possible to go outside at your workplace, it will be enough to stay near an open window for some time. Psychologists also recommend leaving the room where the irritating factor is located for a short period of time.
Remember that “obsession” and “problem solving” are not the same thing
Don't fall into the trap of thinking that rethinking your mistake will essentially help you fix it. You don't have to be "punished" for your work-related "sins" by mentally torturing yourself over them. Instead of dwelling on the problem itself, focus your thoughts on specific steps you can take. This will help repair any residual damage from the error or help you prevent it from happening in the future.
“To move from thinking to improvement mode, ask yourself what is the best choice you can make now, given the real situation. Start with one step, even if it's not the most perfect or comprehensive thing you could do,” HBR recommends.
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How to survive tax audits after a pandemic
At the webinar “Preparing and passing tax audits,” Evgeniy Timofeev, head of the tax practice in Russia/CIS at the law firm Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner (Russia) LLP, and Daler Khairullaev, a leading expert at Kontur, told what is happening now with tax control, what measures businesses should take before the audit and how to carry out comprehensive monitoring of counterparties to reduce risks.
We share with you the recording of the webinar and key points from the experts.
Content:
- What is happening with tax control now?
- What needs to be done before the tax office comes with an audit
- How to prepare evidence for the tax office
- How the IRS chooses the “victim”
- 5 golden rules for preparing for a tax audit
- Recording of the webinar “Preparing and passing tax audits”
What is happening with tax control now?
Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated April 2, 2020 No. 409 suspended until June 30, 2020 inclusive, the issuance of decisions on conducting on-site tax audits. But all this time, nothing prevented the tax authorities from continuing their activities to consider controversial issues. As soon as the announced holidays end, businesses will again be faced with the activity of tax officials.
First of all, problematic areas will fall under special focus: transport services, cleaning, construction, foreign trade transactions, advertising and promotion, agriculture. Tax authorities may also have questions for recruiting agencies. After agency labor was banned, many such agencies began to provide similar services. The tax office only needs to find a file with salaries to understand who the actual employer is.
But in general, any taxpayer can attract the attention of the tax authorities if something in his activities catches the eye.
What needs to be done before the tax office comes with an audit
Now, before the audits begin, taxpayers should prudently take a number of measures.
- Try to make document flow and operations transparent.
The less clear the activity is, the more opportunities the tax authorities have to get caught up in the details and use them against the taxpayer. Therefore, try to work in such a way that all your contracts can be read and understood, and internal documentation does not raise questions. Avoid contradictions.
- Pay attention to control procedures in the selection of counterparties.
The position “it’s not our business to check counterparties” is still found among taxpayers, but it is wrong. The problems of your counterparties are your problems too. There is no need to deal with those who are clearly engaged in unclean activities.
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To learn more
- Conduct training for staff, instruct people.
Employees must know how to deal with tax authorities during an audit. This also applies to interrogations. Personnel should not be afraid of such procedures - they should know how to behave and what to do.
- Remember that checks are not carried out just like that.
They are usually preceded by analysis. You can even record the situation by organ activity. If they start asking you for some documents, it means that an audit is being prepared against you.
- The facts you point to must actually exist.
Telling people that you are doing things perfectly will not help. What will help? First, relevant circumstances that serve as evidence in your favor. Secondly, the presence of facts that are not formal.
The existence of an agreement or act is not evidence. The evidence must be much more serious.
There are some other measures that it is advisable to take before the inspection. First, analyze the main risk areas taking into account the specifics of the company’s activities.
- What is special about your operations?
- What risks might they be associated with?
- What risks may arise with counterparties?
For example, risks may relate to the interpretation of laws. Therefore, you need to monitor judicial and administrative practice and understand how and what to explain to the tax authorities if complaints arise against you.
Second, monitor the company's tax activity.
- Are you receiving any letters?
- Are the tax authorities calling you?
- What requirements are they sending?
- What information do they want from you? Where are the tax authorities aiming?
If you analyze the situation, you can prepare a defense.
How to prepare evidence for the tax office
There is a certain minimum that you can rely on.
Availability of evidence of the reality of transactions
Such evidence indicates that the transactions declared in tax accounting are real. In the case of goods, collecting a decent list of evidence is quite simple: if a company bought a product, then it has invoices, warehouse receipts, sales proceeds, acts, invoices, etc. Don’t forget about witness testimony.
As for intangible things, for example, services, everything is much more complicated with them. Here it is necessary to clearly define and explain why this or that service was purchased, from whom and under what circumstances, who within the company was in contact with the other party.
A formal package of documents will not be sufficient in situations that raise questions from the tax authorities.
Compliance of prices with the essence and volume of operations
In practice, discrepancy is used as one of the proofs of unrealistic operations. If the price obviously does not correspond to what is purchased, this raises suspicions.
Now even an ordinary territorial tax authority has the right to apply the methodology described in section v.1. Tax Code of the Russian Federation on transfer pricing, in order to prove the unreality of transactions or any other “defects” in the company.
Full compliance of the contract provisions with all actual circumstances of the activity
In most cases, contracts are drawn up by lawyers who do not understand the essence of the matter. They write down what they are asked to do.
But when the audit begins, it turns out that the contract provides, for example, for additional reports. But in reality, no one compiles these readings. Such formal conditions are actively used by tax authorities when they prove problems in transactions. After all, their tactic when checking is to find inconsistencies.
Based on this, companies must remember that everything in their activities must converge.
Availability of evidence of the real existence of the counterparty
Due diligence must be exercised. You must convince the tax office that the counterparty really exists. This is why it is important to record meetings, store documents, and have witnesses.
Availability of documents, the authenticity of the signature on which is beyond doubt
The documents must be signed in front of you by a person whose identity you are sure of. Such a signature can be compared using examination. Otherwise, it will be difficult for you to prove anything.
How the IRS chooses the “victim”
Usually the choice occurs in the process of analyzing “hot” areas.
1. Unscrupulous counterparties
They are easily tracked using automated tools. The tax office notices the gaps, and the taxpayer is targeted.
2. The actual recipient of the income
This area is relevant to those involved in cross-border transactions. Now Russia is trying to make it as difficult as possible to withdraw money from the country.
3. Business fragmentation
If you don't have a plausible explanation for why you're working through multiple companies, especially if it's the same product, you're going to have problems.
4. Intragroup services
This area is related to cross-border services. And the tax authorities check it as much as possible.
5. Tax benefits
It's worth paying attention when you receive benefits and thinking about whether you have a legitimate reason to use them.
6. Retraining
Sometimes operations are reclassified, resulting in the budget being replenished. Therefore, every time you assess the risks of retraining, develop a system of evidence.
Leading expert of the SKB Kontur company Daler Khairullaev reminds that the selection of an inspection object is based on a risk-based approach.
According to paragraph 2 of Art. 8.1 of the Federal Law of December 26, 2008 No. 294-FZ, a risk-based approach is a method of organizing and implementing control, in which the choice of intensity (form, duration, frequency) of control activities is determined by the attribution of the activities of a legal entity, individual entrepreneur and those used by them in the implementation activities of production facilities to a certain risk category or a certain class (category) of hazard.
The risk criteria were approved by Order of the Federal Tax Service of the Russian Federation dated May 30, 2007 No. MM-3-06/ [email protected] A taxpayer can independently analyze his activities according to an open list.
What is important to remember
The tax office does not come with an audit just like that.
Anyone who comes to you with a tax audit is not a neutral person, but an attacker, warns Evgeniy Timofeev, head of the tax practice for Russia/CIS at the law firm Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner (Russia) LLP. The check means that, in the opinion of the tax authorities, everything is bad for you; all that remains is to collect evidence for additional assessments.
The visit of the tax authorities is a sign that hostilities are not being prepared against you, but have already begun, and there are serious reasons for this.
Tax authorities have a full range of powers within the framework of inspections
They can obtain testimony, conduct interrogations, request documents and information, inspect premises, seize documents, including electronic media, order examinations, and act together with employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
You need to use the inspection period to your advantage.
Conducting an audit is the period when the company literally must bombard the tax authority with evidence that it is right in the part on which the work is being carried out. To do this, it is important to maintain normal working contact with tax inspectors. Often they themselves say what questions they have for you. But a lot can be understood from their actions.
5 golden rules for preparing for a tax audit
1. Provide clear explanations and responses to tax authorities’ requests.
Don't force the IRS to solve the puzzle. She, of course, can solve it, but it is quite possible that the result will not be the one you would like to see.
Any contradictions must be excluded. There must be a sequence in the position. Any document must be consistent with other papers and what people say during interrogations.
Constantly analyze requests, requirements and conversations. Why does the tax office need this or that information?
Don't expect everything to be explained to you. And even if they explain, it will be too late to prepare a position for defense. This takes time and consideration of all circumstances.
2. Maintain a working relationship with tax preparers.
Just a few years ago, it was preferable to take a formal inactive position and do exactly what is required by law, counting on judicial protection.
Now it’s better to be active and try to build normal communications with inspectors.
3. Always be prepared for the seizure of large amounts of data.
First of all, remember that you should not store data with high tax risks in public places.
You may be asked to produce original documents that you have submitted in copies. May conduct a series of interrogations. It is also possible to request documents and information from foreign organizations.
4. Warn employees about possible calls for questioning.
This situation should not come as a surprise to them. It should be explained that the interrogation is a normal work situation and does not necessarily involve gross misconduct on the part of the company.
It is important that employees be accompanied by a lawyer during questioning. Explain that the presence of a lawyer is necessary to protect their rights and interests. Often, employees are asked questions to which they may not know the answers. But the “excellence student complex” kicks in: since a question has been asked, it means it needs to be answered. And people, not knowing the facts, begin to invent them out of fear. What they say is then used by the tax authorities against the company.
Tax officials have the right to involve former employees in questioning. There are certain risks in this. If a person left a company with a scandal, then he can tell a lot about it that he shouldn’t tell. Therefore, it is better to try to maintain normal relations with those who quit. The former employee should not have a motive to take revenge on you.
Read more about the specifics of the interrogation and how to properly prepare for the procedure.
5. Make sure that the information in the documents matches information from other sources. There shouldn't be any contradictions.
If there are complex areas in which questions may arise, then it is better to create protective files in advance, during quiet times, where the entire volume of possible information, all real and factual circumstances will be analyzed. You must create your own evidence guide.
Recording of the webinar “Preparing and passing tax audits”
You can learn more about preparing for tax audits and comprehensive analysis of counterparties as a way to reduce tax risks from the webinar.
