How To Deal With a Bad Boss

Helpful hints on how to deal with a bad boss.

how to deal with horrible lead image
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Image via Getty/Jamie Grill

how to deal with horrible lead image

Even if you’re one of the lucky five-percent of us who actually enjoys their job instead of waking up every morning contemplating blowing off an entire career for an extra hour’s sleep (you could always, like, test out new forms of edible marijuana for a living, or something like that), chances are you’ve dealt with a boss that has, at least sometimes, made your life miserable.

Hell, Darth Vader could choke a guy with his bare hands from across a room, and even he had to answer to Emperor Palpatine—and that dude was a total fucking dick. The point is, at some point everyone needs to learn how to deal with a bad boss, whether it’s the overbearing micromanager, or the “cool guy” who takes you all out to post-work drinks, gets into a fight with his wife after three rounds of Fireball, and throws up on your new Florsheims.

Do you find yourself overcome with dread whenever your phone buzzes with a new email? Do you sneak onto your company’s Glassdoor page under a pseudonym late at night to leave nasty reviews about your superiors? Have you secretly contemplated slipping into the local park before sunrise to locate a fresh dog turd, transporting it to work in a Tupperware container, and leaving it in your boss’s office as a surprise when she arrives at the office in her stupid bicycling outfit? Us, too.

Unfortunately, those are long-term solutions to what are usually short-term problems. Dealing with a bad boss is a valuable skill, and learning how to take the high road and address your issues in a professional manner will only earn you greater respect and more opportunities along the way.

Luckily for you, we have a wealth of experience working under those who seem to take pleasure in acting like absolute nightmares toward their subordinates. Let’s run through a few pieces of advice.

Take a step back.

how to deal with horrible boss step back

Take the temperature of the workplace.

how to deal with horrible boss take the temperature

Speak up.

how to deal with horrible boss speak up

Don't become jaded.

how to deal with horrible boss dont be jaded

Be proactive.

how to deal with horrible boss be proactive

Find someone to confide in.

how to deal with horrible boss someone to confide in

Don’t take it personally.

how to deal with horrible boss dont take it personally

Once you clock out, don’t bring that angst home with you. The minute you let your boss affect how you feel outside of the workplace is the minute it has become a much bigger problem than it needs to be. Spend your time out of the office doing things that can help you manage your life better or blow off steam—volunteer, join a gym, find a hobby you love. Just don't sit and stew, thinking about how much you hate your job. You're better than that.

The only thing that pisses an aggravating boss off more is not having a bone to pick with you. Instead of coming in on time, come in a few minutes earlier. Get your work done with no errors, and you’ll irritate them in the best way possible.

Kill them with kindness.

how to deal with horrible boss kill with kindness

Keep a record.

how to deal with horrible boss keep a record

Ask yourself if it’s worth leaving.

how to deal with horrible boss is it worth leaving

When you're officially ready to go, see if you can put aside some money from your last few paychecks to give yourself a cushion. You might feel miserable now, but you’ll be more miserable when you’re frantically firing out resume’s while calculating how many weeks of food you can afford.

Avoid burning bridges. Of course it would feel great to tell your boss to go fuck themselves on your way out of the workplace, like Guillermo Diaz in Half Baked. But the truth is, it will only make you feel good temporarily, and you might need a connection or reference from this job down the road. Even if you’ve had a terrible relationship, chances are that when you tell them you’re leaving, they’ll shake your hand and wish you the best of luck.

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