Does having a tyrannical boss leave any kind of lasting imprint on the employee - or are employees just fond of complaining? A posting on JobSchmob.com suggests that that the mental fallout can have lasting effects.
The post, Still Wounded, recounts a job where management underwent a significant change. This lead to a concerted effort to oust older and more-experienced workers - a trend that seems to be growing in popularity, especially among American corporations.
The poster says he was subjected to "malicious outright lies, ethical questions lobbied, pubic demeanings," and "abusive behavior." Finally he left and found another job.
That would seem to be a happy ending, but he says he now feels "scarred" by the experience. He finds himself "questioning motives of others" and "being cautious with every word." In short, he still lives in fear.
The lesson here is that words and actions do have an impact. While new managers may wish to establish leadership and dominance at a new place, they may end up inhibiting work. The actions supervisors take against employees may have farther-reaching effects than they realize.
To make sure we were not a threat we were sent to the contract shrink after such treatment. One day he started the session with a lie detector gadget. It registered emotions. While I was hooked up I thought of the worst supervisor I ever had. The screen showed my emotions as steep and jagged lines. I had not seen this supervisor in 11 years and I still had a reaction by recalling her name in silence.
To oust more experienced workers is not a new phenomenon. But the workers driven out are getting younger. Years ago our parents and grandparents received mean treatment as soon as they reached retirement age. The next wave of workplace refugees did not make it to retirement. They were in their late 40's and 50's. The new '62' seems to be 35 - 40.
The jobschmob site revises visitors entries too frequently for my taste. Good research and passionate participants disappeared. Being censored is a disservice to interested workers and readers looking for advice.
Good topic. This is so true. Scars stay a long time and it is so good to see management take a look at this. About a year and a half ago I was harassed at a previous job and it is stayed with me even now. I find it hard to trust male intentions and I analyze comments male coworkers make. While I've learned that those that I work with now do not mean me any harm, the scars are still there and I feel it has somewhat inhibited me at work. I am just starting to come out from underneath the feelings carried over from my last job and the harassment that took place.
BTW, I have been a regular user on the jobschmob site for well over a year and have never had posts or comments censored. Nor have I ever heard any of the other regular posters mention it. Not sure what the above commentor was referring to??
Jobschmob! I love the name... =)
It amazes me sometimes what a rogue corporate 'culture' can do to oust someone they don't like. I saw it all the time at my old job. They had folks who were there for years that would stick together like a clique (sp?). Someone new who came in that they did not like... they would basically ignore the person and make things very hard on them until they quit... It was like a pack of wolves.
I've been dealing with workplace bullying (from coworkers) for about a year, and I've reached the point where it's time to bail out.
All I want to know is how to explain my departure (after just one year) to hiring managers at future prospective employers. As you know, the golden rule still applies - NEVER say or imply anything was wrong at a prior employer.
Thank you for any help any of you can provide!