#WorkplaceStruggles #BadBoss #HRHelp
Hey everyone, I could really use your thoughts on this situation I’m dealing with at work. Lately, it feels like my boss has been treating me and my coworkers terribly, and honestly, I’m at my wit’s end. 😩
Let me give you some context. After a great company event last month, I came back to my boss acting like I’ve done something really wrong. Before, we had one-on-ones without any negative feedback, but now he’s tearing me apart. Everything changed after I had my wife visit me at the event. I didn’t realize it was against travel policy until he pulled me aside and scolded me with this “you messed up” vibe. I felt so defeated. My wife only stayed for about 90 minutes, and after I spoke with HR, they reassured me that it wasn’t a big deal at all.
But since then, my boss has been on a rampage. During our recent one-on-ones, he’s spent 20 minutes berating me about being distracted and how my work is suffering. I’ve been proactive about seeking feedback, asking every week if there’s anything I can improve, and I was always told I was doing great. So this was a total shock! 😳
Here’s what I’ve noticed:
- 🚨 **Micromanagement Alert**: He’s been pushing me to complete a whole quarter’s worth of projects in just a few weeks. Not only is that unrealistic, but it’s also affecting my morale and productivity.
- 💔 **Team Concerns**: My teammates are noticing the change in how I’m treated, asking if I’m okay. It’s creating an uncomfortable atmosphere for everyone.
- 😡 **Unfair Criticism**: Somehow, my performance, which has consistently been stellar, is being disregarded, leaving me feeling frustrated and confused.
To make matters worse, I’ve heard from others that my boss has a history of treating employees poorly in meetings. I’ve even escalated this to HR and my VP, focusing on how his behavior impacts the team rather than just me. They understood and were supportive. However, my boss continues to critique my work harshly. In a recent call, he even claimed my writing resembles that of a college student! Talk about a slap in the face. 😠
So here I am, working harder than ever to meet expectations and keep my projects on track yet feeling like I’m being set up for a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP). What do you all think I should do? How have you handled bad boss situations?
Your insights would mean the world, and I really appreciate it! 💬
You might want to start looking for a new job. This sounds like what Amazon does to employees by putting them on a PIP and just pulling more and more work and stress on you till you quit or stop performing to the right standards. Your boss hates you now for the wife thing, you are totally screwed with this company forever more.
There’s nothing you can do to “protect yourself”, except work on improving and regaining your boss’s trust.
It sounds like he soured on you when he saw you treat a business trip like it wasn’t a serious event, inviting your spouse and introducing her around. Maybe not your intention, but you flipped the switch from “motivated go getter” to “freeloading slacker”.
The rest of your comments aren’t really anything. People can not like your boss and complain all they want, but if the VP doesn’t see a problem the complaints are meaningless and cast you all as a bunch of complainers.
Double down on effort and rebuild your relationship with your boss or start planning your exit strategy.
He got in trouble for making you send your wife home.
He’s taking it out on you.
Document each instance. Keep an open pipeline with HR about his behavior.
From your side of the story, it *sounds* like HR may already be in the process of PIPing *him* out the door, and he’s just mad about it.
That said: Don’t take things personally. Keep focused on the job, doing your job, and documenting the things you succeed or fail in and the requests your boss makes of you and how they line up with your successes or failures.
> pulls me to the side and tells me she isn’t allowed to be here, its in the travel policy and its a liability thing
Yeah—it is. I know HR apparently said it was OK after the fact, but it’s also been a problem for us, we looked the other way, and then it just got out of control, everyone bringing spouses, then some people just bringing girlfriends/boyfriends, doubling the number of people. If we hadn’t put a lid on it, probably would have expanded to kids too lol. This is absolutely something to clear first and find out the policy on, it’s almost certainly going to be managed, or else everyone would do it. If you let one person, you have to let everyone.
That said, maybe it went the other way—maybe he got chewed out and embarrassed after you reported him for sending your wife home.
> long story short he is a dismissive, rude, dickhead to people and it is so blatant
I’m sorry to hear that. It’s not an HR issue, but it is a management issue. You went to the VP—that was the correct place to take it. (Maybe your HR is willing to get involved, even if this is not their territory, but remember they don’t have any power do anything.)
The thing is—you spoke to everyone but the one person you needed to speak to: him. Unless you left that part out. You need to sit down with him and (since it sounds like you’re at the end of your rope and maybe employment there anyway) lay down your cards. Tell him you’re a great employee, you’re being treated unfairly and unprofessionally by him, and you’re clearing the air. If that doesn’t work, then you’re no worse off. Good luck!