So what's your bad boss horror story? You know you have one. Bad boss behaviors that lead to horrific employee disengagement and turnover are rampant, and study upon study has confirmed this epidemic. The most recent example is via an employee survey conducted by BambooHR.
They asked more than 1,000 US-based employees to rate 24 'typical boss behaviors' from 'totally acceptable' to 'totally unacceptable. Can you guess the worst behavior a boss can have in the workplace?
It's taking credit for an employee's work.
BambooHR found that 63 percent of respondents said hogging credit was unacceptable, or something they would consider worth quitting over. Is that true for you?
Women felt even worse about their bosses wrongly taking credit, with 71 percent of them calling it the worst behavior. Workers over 60 had the strongest reaction, with 77 percent of them finding it offensive versus workers under 30 (57 percent).
The survey's results concluded that, overall, 44 percent of employees said that a boss had been the primary reason they left a previous job. More conclusive evidence to support the old adage that "people leave managers, not their jobs."
In case you're curious, the 5 top characteristics of their boss that made them leave were:
- Management style -- 37 percent
- Condescending attitude -- 30 percent
- Mean or bad temper -- 30 percent
- Inappropriate behavior -- 26 percent
- Harassed employees -- 24 percent
Top 10 Bad Boss Behaviors
Here's a summary of the findings from the survey, which you can compare with the boss that currently bullies you or steals your thunder.
Bad Boss Behavior | Percentage who call it unacceptable or a deal breaker
Your boss takes credit for your work | 63% |
Your boss doesn't trust or empower you | 62 |
Your boss doesn't care if you're overworked | 58 |
Your boss doesn't advocate for you when it comes to compensation | 57 |
Your boss hires and/or promotes the wrong people | 56 |
Your boss doesn't back you up when there's a dispute | 55 |
Your boss doesn't provide proper direction on assignments/roles | 54 |
Your boss micromanages and doesn't allow you "freedom to work" | 53 |
Your boss focuses more on your weaknesses than strengths | 53 |
Your boss doesn't set clear expectations | 52 |
Most Surprising Finding of All
The survey results show a clear gender divide when it comes to how men and women view their relationships with their bosses, which I found rather surprising.
Here are the differences in percentage of respondents that say "it's not at all acceptable" or a "deal breaker that would make them want to quit."
Your boss focuses more on your weaknesses than your strengths
- Women: 61 percent
- Men: 43 percent
Your boss doesn't appear to care if you are overworked
- Women: 66 percent
- Men: 49 percent
Your boss takes credit for your work
- Women: 71 percent
- Men: 55 percent
Your boss hires and/or promotes the wrong people
- Women: 64 percent
- Men: 48 percent
Your boss doesn't appear to trust or empower you
- Women: 70 percent
- Men: 54 percent
I'd be curious to know whether women experience these behaviors firsthand more often than men, therefore rating their bosses as more negative, which would be troubling. Or whether women in general reporting to male bosses perceive them differently than their male colleagues due to gender-specific differences in communicating, relating and connecting. I'd be interested to hear some honest perspectives in the comments or you can hit me up on Twitter.