eBossWatch, an organization that helps people avoid toxic workplaces by allowing employees to anonymously rate their supervisors, recently announced its America’s Worst Bosses List for 2010. If you take a few minutes to read some of the fifty “winners” you will find the true stories quite disgusting.
One of the biggest questions that comes to my mind is: “Where are the leaders of these organizations?” Evidently they look the other way in many cases or plead ignorance. I suspect the perpetrators of these uncivilized, inhumane, unethical and often, illegal acts, are politically connected, evil geniuses, the Alpha Male/Female, or simply the boss who injects fear in their toxic workplaces. Fear causes inaction in most organizations.
Is this a negative approach to creating a great workplace? As human beings we need to learn from our mistakes. It is my hope business leaders will read about this dubious list of characters and decide it is time to create a workplace culture built on trust, dignity and respect. eBossWatch’s founder, Asher Adelman, is simply shining the light on bad workplace behavior so we can learn and initiate change.
Press Release: eBossWatch Publishes 2010 List of America’s Worst Bosses
Dallas Morning News: Website Names Dallas Fire-Rescue Chief Eddie Burns Worst Boss in America
Graphic Image Credit: eBosswatch.com
3 Comments
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Kevin: Took a quick look at this list. What struck me was how many of them were based on sexual harassment alone. Absolutely awful! Of course, the woman who tried to run over her employee takes the cake. Brings to mind a particular Office episode.
Speaking of The Office, I find it interesting that while Michael Scott is certainly not up for the Smartest Boss of the Decade Award, no one on the Dunder-Mifflin team ever seems to quit. And I don’t think it’s just TV writing. As much as toxic workplace issues are prevalent in our society, I think the writers of the show may be onto something – that as long as your employees feel that you really do care about them and have their best interest at heart, they will stand by you and the team you have built, even if you’re clearly not perfect. Good thoughts, man.
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As long as the insidious and outdated employment model called “AT WILL” remains ingrained in the American workplace, the culture, “….the boss who injects fear in their toxic workplaces. Fear causes inaction in most organizations.” will continue to flourish!
In my view, “At Will” doctrine has spawned and reinforces an employment environment that is;
(1) adversarial by creating an “us versus them” in the American workplace employment mindset
(2) emboldens employers to maintain, sustain and perpetuate discriminatory employment practices
(3) monumentally wasteful of monetary resources and public goodwill in needless litigation“America’s Worst Bosses” typically use intimidation and threats adversely affecting the workers employment experience by:
(1) manipulation of compensation
(2) changing working conditions
(3) changing work hours
(4) demotion
(5) negative job reviews
(6) terminationThese tactics are also synonymous with violations of federal discrimination and retaliation laws.
Just as the paradigm shift in audio media technology finally forced me to put down my cassette player and learn to use a cd/dvd player, “At Will” employment is another dinosaur whose time has come for a decent burial.
“America’s Worst Bosses” are rabidly opposes to dismantling “AT WILL” employment doctrine, hmmmm I wonder why?
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Another horrible tactic employed by toxic bosses is to assign tasks that are beyond your ken, with little or no support, with unrealistic time-scales for getting up to speed, and then make out you are (unsprisingly) struggling!
My biggest complaint is that they insult my intelligence by doing this, they really seem to think I don’t know they are doing this. It has not gone unnoticed that businesses that employ this tactic never really attain true business success. I wonder why?
