8 Signs Your Boss Is a Bully

Learn How to Confront Your Bullying Boss

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Bullying is not limited to the teen years. In fact, more and more people are reporting bullies in the workplace. Some studies indicate that as many as 30 million American workers have been, or are now being, bullied at work. Another 30 million have witnessed it.

Workplace bullying can occur between anyone in the workplace. But perhaps the most difficult situation to deal with is bullying by a boss—the very person responsible for your advancement within the company.

Many times people do not realize that their boss is bullying them. Instead, they believe that they have a tough boss or one that simply pushes their employees to get results. But it is important to be able to identify workplace bullying because it can have significant consequences.

signs that your boss is a bully
Verywell / Brianna Gilmartin

If you feel targeted by your boss, consider whether their behavior meets these criteria, which could indicate workplace bullying.

Impedes Your Success

Bullies do no want to see you succeed because if you do, they will lose control over you. As a result, they may punish you for mistakes that are not yours or bring up past mistakes in order to shift blame during a discussion.

They also may make it impossible for you to apply for a promotion, a transfer or additional training. They may even over-control or micromanage your work or projects. More manipulative bullies will promise you promotions or raises to get you to work extra, but then never deliver on those promises.

Intimidates You

Intimidating behavior might include threatening to fire you as a way to maintain power and control. A bullying boss might also make frightening gestures or threaten to physically harm you. Other examples of intimidating behavior include towering over you, invading your space, and giving intimidating looks.

Intrudes on Your Privacy

Some bosses spy on you or even stalk you. They may listen in on your private conversations, open your mail, or tamper with your personal belongings or your work equipment. It is not uncommon to find a bullying boss snooping through your office when you are out. Ultimately, they are looking for ammunition to use against you.

Isolates You

Bullying bosses may exclude you socially. They leave you off party lists and do not include you in company outings, sporting events, or after-hours meetings. They also may schedule meetings when they know you are on vacation or have a conflict in your schedule.

Additionally, they may make important decisions while you are out of the office. And they may go so far as refusing to allow you to attend work meetings or work lunches.

Questions Your Ability and Commitment

Bosses that bully question your ability by belittling your opinions and ideas. This behavior may take place in private or in front of others. They also may blame you for problems at work while boasting that their skills are responsible for good outcomes.

A bullying boss may also question your commitment to the job unless you work long hours and sacrifice personal time. Even then, you likely can never do enough to please them.

Spreads Rumors About You

Bullies often go to great lengths to make others look bad. As a result, they may gossip with others about your work, your appearance, your health or your personal life. Sometimes, they lie about you in order to damage your reputation. Their goal is to make others believe you deserve the unfair treatment you are receiving. 

Undermines Your Work

Bullies set unrealistic deadlines that are bound to cause failure. They also change project guidelines on a regular basis, causing extra work and increasing the chance for failure.

They withhold necessary information and sabotage your success by causing your projects to be late or incomplete. Refusing to sign off on projects or not providing needed feedback are other tactics used to undermine work.

Verbally Abuses You

Bullying bosses are notorious for humiliating employees in front of others. They might shout, swear or yell at you. They may make offensive jokes at your expense. Verbally abusive bosses also make snide remarks or offer unfair criticism.

Why Workplace Bullying Is Harmful

Many times, employees will endure bullying and poor treatment from their bosses simply because they are afraid of losing their job or creating a tense situation. But letting bullying bosses get away with humiliating and demeaning you can be a bad idea, too.

Not only is the bullying bad for your health, but it likely will continue if you never address it. If you are at the point where you feel like you are walking on eggshells around your boss or you are feeling anxious, sad, or frightened around your boss, then it may be time to stand up to the bullying.

And it may actually be good for you. A 2015 study published in "Personnel Psychology" found that confronting a hostile boss helps you hold onto your sanity. The study’s lead author, Bennett Tepper, says that employees feel better about themselves because they didn’t sit back and take the bullying.

Employees that stood up to the bullying also earned the respect of their coworkers and gained back power in the relationship with their bosses. They also were more committed to their jobs and they believed their careers were not impacted negatively by addressing the boss’ bad behaviors.

How to Confront Your Boss

Standing up to your boss is not easy.If you feel like they are taking advantage of you, it might be worth considering. But first, think about the possible repercussions. You have to be comfortable with the fact that you could be disciplined or lose your job for standing your ground.

For some people, confronting bullying is the priority over maintaining their position in the company. Others would prefer to learn coping mechanisms while they hunt for a new job. Whatever your decision, be sure you are prepared for the possible outcome. If you do want to confront your boss, try these strategies for handling the situation effectively.

Be Confident

Bullying bosses are able to quickly discern whom they can control and manipulate. Avoid looking nervous, insecure, or defeated. No matter what happens during your discussion stay strong and remain professional. Keep your chin up and do not give in to the pressure.

Be Specific

When addressing your boss’ behavior, have specific examples ready of how they have acted unprofessionally. If you don’t have examples prepared, it will look like you are overreacting.

Keep in mind, though, that most bullying bosses will not take responsibility for their mean behavior. They are likely to shift the blame for their actions back to you or simply brush it off, saying they don't remember it happening. Recognize this for what it is and do not falsely believe that you are to blame for their choices.

Continue to Work Hard

Do not allow your boss’ bullying to derail you at work. Don’t spend time talking with other co-workers about what is happening. Instead, focus on continuing to produce high-quality work. Also, do not allow the turmoil your boss creates to cause you to fall behind on projects. Be sure to keep good documentation of all your successes.

Know When to Get Outside Help

If your boss continues to bully you despite your efforts to address it, contact human resources or your boss’ supervisor. Keep a record of all the bullying incidents, including dates, times, and witnesses. You should also keep all electronic correspondence.

If you feel emotionally drained, depressed or anxious, contact a counselor. It is never a good idea to ignore the effects of workplace bullying.

Recognize What You Can and Can't Control

Remember, you have no control over what other people say or do. But,you do have control over your response. Keep your confrontation free of emotion and anger. If you can’t speak t your boss in a calm manner, postpone the discussion.

You also need to be prepared for your boss to retaliate. Be sure you have a plan in place in case your boss fires you for calling out their mean behavior.

Stand Up for Yourself

Remember, bullies count on you being passive about their behavior. Show your boss that they made a mistake in targeting you. Address the issue with your boss in a calm and assertive manner. The goal is to defend yourself without being aggressive or mean in return.

A Word From Verywell

Learning to recognize workplace bullying will help you learn not to blame yourself for someone else’s behavior. Additionally, you will be less likely to take responsibility for something that isn’t your fault. Remember, bullying does not mean there is something wrong with you. Instead, workplace bullying is a choice that is made by the bully.

Keep the situation in perspective and do not let it affect your self-esteem or health. Find outside support for what you are experiencing and look for options for your situation whether it is reporting your boss, filing a complaint, looking for a new job, or getting outside counseling. With some effort, you can escape the clutches of a bullying boss.

2 Sources
Verywell Family uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
  1. Workplace Bullying Institute. 2017 Workplace Bullying Institute U.S. Workplace Bullying Survey.

  2. Tepper BJ, Mitchell MS, Haggard D, Kwan HK, Park H. On the exchange of hostility with supervisors: an examination of self-enhancing and self-defeating perspectives. Pers Psychol. 2015;105(68)723–58. doi:10.1111/peps.12094

By Sherri Gordon
Sherri Gordon, CLC is a published author, certified professional life coach, and bullying prevention expert.