Am I on the slope to being given the push?

[tryingherbest]

Well, after almost 2.5 years of not working and with a young kid I managed to find a part time role - no great shakes - an office manager in a small company.

Was initially grateful for the opportunity (after interviews where the only questions were about my childcare.). HOwever the MD is getting increasingly out of control - my work role is nothing how it was written, the hours are very long I find myself compensating for other staff and he's getting increasingly verabally abusive to staff and has just sacked someone, he's starting to ignore me and I think the same will happen.

I find it very hard to operate in an environment where I feel scared and it's got the point when he has a go (usually about someething I had no idea about and have no responsibility for) I just don't respond. Like being alice in wonderland.
I think we're going to have a showdown 0 I'm so tired that I'll have nothing that I can be bothered to counteract.

I think I've done a marvellous job under difficult circumstances but I'm so over worked and MD won't take any responsibility for big issues but instead micromanages the little things that puts me behind in my work.

But's it's a small outfit and he's the owner.

How do I approach this - I think he's under a great deal of pressure himself - but the company is doing really well.

A similar thing happened to me in my last job. I decided to jump ship and look for another job - in a large company. Luckily, I found one, and although, it's not fantastic, it's a lot better than being yelled at, accused of anything the boss can find, and going home in tears.
I was working 60 hour weeks on a regular basis, got no thanks, just yelled at, because the boss was having his own problems. I had no one to talk to at work, he fired almost as soon as he hired.
You could try having a talk with him, I tried this with my ex-boss, but he thought I wanted an affair and got fruity.
When I refused, being at work was unbearable, and I had no choice but to leave.
I was only there for a few months - that was enough.
Good luck, I hope you manage to reach a solution.

I would be keeping a note of all incidents of his bullying and intimidation, then tell him that you won't put up with his unreasonable behaviour any longer. I would also talk to someone like ACAS and see how you can go forward from this.

I'm pretty sure you would have a good case for constructive dismissal. flowerybeanbag will be able to advise.

good luck whatever you do, but for your own sanity it sounds like you need to get out of there fast.

mashedup - !!! My boss is not like that thankfully!
LackaDaisy - I'm actually grateful for the opportunity but I do['t think I'm doing the best I can as I don't have the tools or space. He had a freelance finance person working one day a week and when he took me on he had the opportunity of getting rid of the one day a week person and getting in someone in full time to do the whole thing. He kept on the finance person and took me on to do the admin and not finance. No soon do I get there the finance person wants to cut their hours so I do more of their stuff - with no training! So I@m busy - the office is chaotic and I can't for love nor money put systems in place in a company that has never had them, doesn't want them and where the boss won't sign up to anything! Demoralising. However, my work is always done but his attitute is like this to lots of people - he has about 2 favourites who are OK - the rest of us just try to get throug the day without being shouted at.

Unsure if this is his style or whether he's trying to get rid. But some of it's my fault as I spend my day thrashing out work and trying to hide from him - so not alot of communication there - and what there is just gets cut off by him or a sarcastic comment made.

There's no excuse for him being a bully though tryingherbest.

I think you need to ask to see him (can one of your colleagues act as a supporter ) and tell him your concerns?

Maybe write things down first so you don't get sidetracked by him and his issues? Couch it in terms that you have been there X long and think it's time for a small review. Certainly you can't go on like this as you will have a nervous breakdown!

And try not to think of things being "your" fault. Of course things will go wrong if yu don't have the time or the training to do them properly and this isn't your fault if you are having to take on more than you were originally employed for in a shorter time than it would normally take.

He could be oblivious to the effect he has on his staff; or he might like throwing people in at the deep end to see whether they sink or swim. Either way I think he needs to be put right about this.

I don't think it's fair to his staff to treat them like this.

You poor thing, I hate that small business owners are treating good staff like this and are getting away with it.

I did some work when training in the litigation department of my firm briefly a few months ago (I have more training to do that department) and a woman had basically been forced out of her job in circumstances such as yours. She was yelled at, hours changed, job description not adhered to. Anyway, she was a lovely lady and very fragile. She took legal advice after she left and ended up taking action against him. He defended himself and we ended up in Court. The Court session was delayed for some reason and in that time the barrister and I managed to secure a settlement with this chap. He knew that he did wrong and in the eyes of the law he wasn't going to get away with it. His sol was on the phone with him the whole time clearly advising him to accept our offer.

Our lovely client walked away with £6,000 and confirmation that yes, she was treated badly and he had to pay.

What I am trying to say is that it's easy to make these people pay (and I don't mean just monetary). They take the threat of legal action very seriously, as they should.

Like others have said, keep a diary, get witnesses....and if he does succeed in pushing you out, please don't let him get away with it.

How long have you worked there?

How long have you been there tryingherbest? You may or may not know that if you've been there less than a year, you have no right to claim unfair dismissal, including constructive dismissal.

That aside, he's obviously not treating you particularly well but from the sounds of things, it's not a personal thing targeted against you, more his hugely inappropriate and incompetent style of managing his business.

First thing to do is sit down with him and raise all of the issues you've mentioned. Tell him exactly what the problems are, and get his response. Document that and send him an email or similar about the meeting just confirming what was said and any actions agreed for him or you.

I'm not going say you have a good case for constructive dismissal, partly because I don't know how long you've been there, and partly because its not clear exactly what you've done to try and address this situation yourself. You might have though.

I'm going to disagree with cfc who says it's 'easy to make these people pay'. It's very far from easy, particularly if you are talking about constructive dismissal. Constructive dismissal is hard to prove, stressful to bring as a claim, will take a long time and might involve all sorts of mud being thrown at you. That doesn't mean it isn't the right thing to do, but it's definitely not 'easy'. Bear in mind also that in unfair (including constructive) dismissal claims, compensation is based on your actual financial loss, not how badly the employer has behaved. And you would be expected to look for other work while bringing the claim. If you found other work, your financial loss would be small if any, making a claim pointless.

Have a read here about constructive dismissal, just so you know more about it.

Hi all

Well I've been there over a year - and I'm notlooking to make a claim. Perhaps this is all part and parcel of being a small outfit (14 of us in total) but I'm on the hunt for something else as I can't keep working till 7pm and taking on everyone elses rubbish and then get blamed.

I'm applying for other things (not much out there!) but it would also be unfair to just leave - so should tlak to him. I'll approach it in a I've been here a year now and I'd like a review as I get the impression you are not pleased with my work stylie - as I want to make it very clear that his behaviour is not getting the best out of his staff. I've been around the houses and I've NO problems with bosses and my workk to date - quite the reverse - I wonder whether I'm feeling the pressure due to the credit crunch.

This will make you laugh - he doesnt' like my letter style - and said I was putting in too many political pauses in - by his definition where a politician say's 'erm' while they are thinking of what to say! It was a letter - and using 'in addition' and 'another point to consider' is not a political pause but a way of avoiding using 'and' when you've got lots of point to make. My writing is actually very good - I've written on behalf of public figures and they've never made amendments. But when someone is constantly picking you start to doubt yourself.

Oh boy, I know that feeling! How frustrating for you.

I should have explained more clearly that "to make them pay" I meant not in court with a settlement etc....but give them the willies...

Sit him down, tell him you won't stand for it any more and that you will just keep a note of everything. Seriously, that will make him think twice, unless he thinks he's above the law (and good manners!!). If he has a claim lodged against him, he will have to pay out for defence and if the claiment wins, costs and his insurance will more than likely take a hit.

Be brave (now I just need to take some of my own advice...sigh!).

I too had the 'typing style' problem, my boss used to stand over my shoulder whilst I typed a letter. We had various temps in, but they only lasted a few days. One temp was meant to be there for 2 weeks, but at the end of the 1st day, she declared she'd never met a man like him, and wasn't coming back. He couldn't see what the problem was.
When do you plan to talk to him, and what will you say?

cfc

Aw - thanks for that! There are just bonkers people around - we are doing very well so there's a touch of the arrogance there - but he's now looking very depressed. But know what - not my problem. I've had the usual childcare problems but have taken no time off work - no sickness - I didtake an am to take ds to hospital but a)it's my right b) I'd made up the hours. I've also changed my days to accommodate the awful finance officer - in fact she called me Sunday (!) to say if I could change at short notice. I've even gone in a couple of times on day off to help him out when in a bind. Never claimed that time back. So I've done enough. I don't think my performance is any great shakes and by that I mean i'm not up to my usual standard of being really really good - but I'm more than good enough for the job in hand - what annoys me is that I love doing a good job and when I can't I get frustrated. But my work is all done - no cock ups at all - but he's being horrible!