Dealing with moody men in all walks of life

[BibiBlocksberg]

Hello, I really hope you'll forgive me for putting this here but even though my topic is work related I think it will make sense to people in this section and all my MN friends are here and and and

Basically I work in a very small team consisting of me, my boss and a part-time person who started in April but has mainly been off sick since then (sounds bitchy but just saying because its true and relevant)

Thing is my boss is a very moody sort of person and if anyone makes a mistake (another department, me, etc) he gets into a really shitty mood and does 'angry typing' for hours,slams his mouse, sighs etc.

If I ask him a question I get a reluctant answer in a 'FFS' tone of voice so I prefer not to ask him anything if I can help it.

Since it's usually really quiet on the floor (7 people in total on big office floor) and in the team, I will occasionally try to make conversation which is mostly met with a puzzled stare and then boss turns back to his monitor without saying anything.

If he is having a conversation with me he makes it perfectly clear when it's over because again he will turn back to his PC while I'm still talking to him and just blank me. Stupid me just shuts up, sits down and feels like a total pain in the arse for having said anything

Just to demonstrate what a sap I really am, I tend to work an extra couple of hours each day because boss used to make comments in a really sour tone such as 'must be nice to go home at 4' if I went at my normal time (which he had agreed incidentally) so work 8-5-6 without lunch break. Well lunch is my choice mostly as nothing to do around the area and I am too busy mostly but still, realise it's my choice on that front.

Thing is this I feel really invisible and totally insignificant by now and am seriously considering saying something.

Have put this here because yet again I'm walking on eggshells around a moody bloke, too scared to upset him.

It's a really small company so can't talk to anyone really (HR consists of one elderly bloke who also does the accounts and wages) so can't really turn there.

Really feels like the whole walking on eggshells is an issue haunting me and I need to face it head on once and for all.

Boss is perfectly pleasant to the other people on the floor so I wonder if he is the way he is with me because he knows he can get away with it because I hate feeling like a pain in the arse, can be shut up very easily and can't really take my grievances anywhere?

Just for the record, I do a lot of work and I do it quickly and quietly (well, mostly :)) so it's not like I'm a slacker or anything (in case anyonwe thinks I might be a total dead weight and the boss knows it I mean)

Any ideas on how I can let his moods affect me less and recover a sense of worth here would be very gratefully received :)

[Katisha]

14.45. Hope you are STILL At Lunch!

[BibiBlocksberg]

Dear Lord, lunch at quarter to three? This isn't France you know :)

HappyDoll, perhaps I should attend my next appraisal in my national costume or something - to give him someone to stare darkly at :)

Perhaps a doily would be more fitting since I act like one!

[Katisha]

didja take a lunch break today at all though? didja?

[BibiBlocksberg]

Well, I didn't physically leave the building but talked bullshit had an important meeting with a colleague/friend to catch up on workplace gossip.

Got to keep up to date with how fed everyone else is with their boss :)

[Katisha]

Excellent!