My celebrity boss is a lunatic I'm losing the plot

[Niceseasidetown]

My boss is a celebrity in our industry. Think: 100s of 1000s of social media followers, his own podcast...and all the ego that goes with that.

He is also rude (telling people their ideas are fucking shit), a huge micromanager and a bully. Everyone at work says this, not just me. His adoring fans don't see this side of him.

When I took the job he wasn't my boss. He fired my boss publicly saying he wasn't up to the job and now I have to work much more closely with the celebrity boss. My stress and anxiety are through the roof. I am criticised for everything and publicly. Literally not one thing is right (even obvious achievements). I'm mocked and ridiculed. I'm very experienced and well paid and in my 40s. I'm good at my job.

I'm obviously looking for a new job.

Spoke to HR who just sighed and said he is like that. He owns the company.

How do I cope. I feel on the edge of a breakdown. I also have to manage a team who he undermines me in front of.

Literally every hour is miserable and terrifying.

I can't do anything legally or practically. I need emotional coping tips because I am a wreck. I worry what this is doing to my physical as well as mental health.

Sorry didn't read until the end. Well done OP!

Congratulations! Hopefully they'll treat you more reasonably for the next week, with a bit of luck the forest retreat will last another week and a half.

Holiday pay though - nice that it's 7 weeks, but they really do treat you like an employee. Hopefully they'll pay it in a lump sum rather than stretch it over 3 months. Consider strategically reporting them to HMRC once you've passed probation in a new job (which hopefully has a proper employee contract). It may make their demise even quicker than Christmas!

Oh no the holiday pay is 7 days not 7 weeks!!!

I'm not going to get another job.

I'm going to continue with the consultancy business I had to set up at great confusion and I am going to freelance.

At least that is my goal.

No one will have this power over me again.

You've all been fab. This has been insane. But I'm going to try never to allow one lunatic that extent of control over my life.

Have you checked out how much holiday time/pay you are actually legally entitled to? This page will take you through it Calculate holiday entitlement - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

@Qbish - OP is a contracted consultant and I don't think the company is UK based, which is a shame.

Oh, I see. Still, great that you are getting away from him OP! I've worked for someone similar and it is soul-destroying.

He sounds like pure poison. Well done on your escape plan 👏

Sorry, I misread days for weeks! Still, as a contractor you shouldn't get holiday pay, my 'shop them to HMRC' point remains.

Hope it works out for you! I work part freelance and part in a normal job, it's a good balance if you can make it work financially.

Congratulations on making such a brave decision. Of course it was the right one! In a month's time you will just wonder why you didn't do it sooner!

May I strongly encourage you to write a truthful and frank book about everything you have experienced at this job? Keep all this thread for notes. Looking at the number of people engaging to help you here, and the number among us saying we had something similar, I believe there would be a huge audience longing to read your book. Beyond changing names, I would probably not change anything else. Please do this!

Again, well done for surviving this horrendous bullying and for your amazing dignity. You might even look into bringing a case of constructive dismissal. This is clearly the case, your saying, "I have been tasked with achieving more new customers in the next 6 months than we have had IN THE LAST 10 YEARS" alone constitutes bullying of an extreme nature, but take this plus the list of all the things he has ever done to a Solicitor. I think you are entitled to a large sum in compensation.

It's been a privilege to follow your story. It has been agonising hearing about a decent, conscientious and sensitive lady being tortured by such an evil narcissist. You so much deserve to have something good from this. I would still recommend you have counselling as the after-effects can linger following such a traumatic experience.

Congratulations on how you dealt with everything. The podcast and writing for the publication are truly the recognition you deserve. This might be the start of your great success as an independent lady! Start networking when you go for the podcast and mention you are about to start on your book about your experiences working with a Celebrity Boss!

With love and very best wishes, and may God bless you.
Elle

👏 👏 💐 ✍️ 🏆

So he’s on a forest retreat, I hope he has a nasty encounter with a bear!

Bravo @Niceseasidetown! be the master of your own destiny now
I hope the other staff learn from you

It has taken me a week to digest your lovely post @Ellyess

Thank you so much. It has had more impact and influence than you could know. I feel you are just a lovely person.

I have two days to go. Celeb boss hasn't interacted with me at all since I handed my notice in...everything has gone fine and colleagues said some nice things about my skills.

A man has been hired to work 15 hours a week to cover my role and is getting what I got in terms of money but will have free rein apparently.

He seems nice enough.

I feel tired and overwhelmed right now. I've been out drinking with friends the last two nights to try and distract me!!

Have to have an exit interview with HR tomorrow which will take my last ounce of tact.

Isn't an exit interview supposed to be so they know why you are leaving? You should be honest! They could do with knowing what a problem he is and it might be quite cathartic for you?

Thanks @Tandia

Everyone knows what he is like. The vast majority of bullying has been public.

They know.

I'm scared about it honestly. I'm doubtful of my ability to lie. They record the call.

My line is "that's a very reasonable question but I haven't thought about it until now. Nothing is popping in my head as an immediate answer". Maybe that is a bit crap

WHAT WOUL HAPPEN IF YOU JUST TELL THE TRUTH? [SOZ CAPS..BAD EYES]

Sounds like Felon Husk

Glad you’re almost free of the twit

OP, exit interviews aren't compulsory are they? Just don't go!

Ive just picked up on your thread. I worked for some right arseholes as my first “proper” job after university. I was employed to perform a role, which was supposedly permanent but they’d lost the contract before employing me (I found the letter confirming this after some digging). The 3 of them basically wanted a punch bag. It was awful.

I then got a temping job and ended up applying for a permanent position and staying at the company. In the temping job, I actually cried for making a non mistake because I thought I’d be sacked on the spot. The manager was really baffled. And told me I had done nothing wrong.

Just to say these people do knock your confidence. But a decent and kind boss along with time and perspective will help you to put the past behind you. You know you deserve better and handed your notice in to show your worth.

Inspired by Daisy Goodwin dealing with Daniel Korski, who has just stepped down as a Tory candidate for Mayor of London: Keep a record of your boss’s incidents of bad behaviour, ideally noting witnesses. After you have left, wait until he has a high profile occasion then publicise.

This whole set up is so so strange. Well done for finally getting out. The company will probably close soon! I deffo think some of the things you’ve mentioned here aren’t right under HMRC laws.. contractors and holiday pay etc. I don’t think you can just work whatever you/they want and claim it’s Texan jurisdiction?!

God, I would get a "migraine" the day of your exit interview and have to go home/not come into work

You can't claim constructive dismissal if you are already job hunting, never mind actually have another job to go to.

Document it all and tell him you will go to the press unless he sorts it out/pays you sick leave. Honestly the papers would be all over this. He sounds horrid. Good luck OP

You can’t claim constructive dismissal when you’re not an employee!!!!

CONTRACTORS DO NOT GIVE EXIT INTERVIEWS.
Unless you are planning to try and claim that you were an employee and not a contractor through HMRC why are you behaving like an employee when you aren’t one?!