What to do if your boss yells and humiliates: useful advice from a psychologist

Why do managers humiliate subordinates?

Agree, everything happens for a reason. Your boss takes his anger out on his subordinates for a reason. However, do not rush to blame yourself.

• Probably yours the director was captured by his own image. For some reason, it seems to some people that a real leader must be domineering, tough, and ignorant of politeness and compassion.
  

  By raising his voice to a subordinate, the boss feels like he’s in charge and makes it clear “who’s boss.”

• The next reason is banal lack of self-confidence . Ironically, timid people sometimes hide their true selves so carefully that they make others think they are incredibly strong and brave. The created mask allows them to achieve success in social life: they are influential and occupy leadership positions. However, they are constantly haunted by an obsessive thought: what if someone finds out that they can give in?
• The boss is losing his nerve . A tense period for the company, stress, problems in your personal life - all this one way or another leaves an imprint on behavior. Another question is that this is not very professional. This syndrome is called emotional fatigue, overwork.
• There is a version that your boss is no stranger to sadism . Especially if he doesn’t disdain swear words and likes to practice on his subordinates. There is a common phrase that “There is no worse master than a former slave” - in this case it is one hundred percent true. Self-affirmation through humiliation of others is disgusting, yes, but it exists.

The procedure for protecting your rights and admitting mistakes

Unfortunately, some of the conflicts that arise between an employer and his employee may go beyond what is permitted.
The tyranny of a boss can force a citizen to take actions aimed at bringing him to justice. According to the provisions of Article 352 of the Labor Code, a person who has been humiliated at work by his immediate supervisor has the right to defend his rights in the following ways:

1. Contact the trade union;
2. Deal with the offender yourself;
3. Submit a corresponding application to the court;
4. Write a complaint against your manager.

As practice shows, a citizen’s appeal to government agencies exercising control in this area has the maximum effect.

However, before filing a complaint against his manager, the employee must independently understand the current conflict. Based on the results of numerous trials, it can be concluded that sometimes the boss’s dissatisfaction has good grounds. And the employee simply refuses to voluntarily admit his mistakes and deal with them.

In such a situation, it would be in the citizen’s interests to admit shortcomings in his work. As a result, the parties may be able to come to a constructive solution to this problem. It makes no sense to try to bring the boss to justice in this case, since such actions will not bear any consequences, but will only lead the parties to a new level of conflict.

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Article 352 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation “Methods of protecting labor rights and freedoms”

Does he have the right to shout?

Unfortunately, thousands of people have no idea how to really communicate within a work team. They are also not familiar with the concept of etiquette. Of course, superiors do not have the right to yell and humiliate subordinates.

IMPORTANT ! There are many methods of influencing a negligent employee - a reprimand, a fine, deprivation of bonuses, dismissal, in the end.

Constant scandals in the workplace indicate that “the fish rots from the head”: the boss fails to cope with the responsibilities assigned to him and is unable to regulate the activities of the employees who are subordinate to him.

Don’t forget that we are all human: everyone has a bad streak. If the director shouted a couple of times due to temporary difficulties, this can be forgiven. But regular humiliation and insults must be stopped.

If your boss humiliated you in the presence of your colleagues or offended you in front of everyone, then it makes no sense to endure it in silence. This is harmful to both your health and the microclimate at work.

By the way, did you know that employees who are yelled at by their boss are more prone to heart attacks than those who work in a calm, adequate environment?

There are often cases when the boss is an ordinary tyrant and does not see his own shortcomings. It is useless to argue with him or respond to aggression with aggression - in any case, he will be confident that he is right.

In this case, you need to develop a plan for further action and a line of behavior with an unbalanced boss. Whatever the reason for the screaming, you can’t react to problems like that.

What does a boss face for humiliating employees?

The punishment of a leader depends on the nature of the humiliation of subordinates and the motive for committing such actions. If a boss tries to yell and humiliate an employee in order to force him to quit as soon as possible, this is a direct violation of labor laws. But here it is necessary to understand that the manager is trying to force dismissal through psychological influence. A way out of this situation may be to warn the boss about contacting the labor inspectorate. If the attacks do not stop, you can file a complaint.

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Penalties for forced dismissal (Article 5.27 of the Administrative Code):

1. Imposition of a fine for officials and individual entrepreneurs - from one to five thousand rubles;
2. Legal entities – from 30 to 50 thousand rubles.

Sanctions against legal entities provide for the most severe punishment, so in such cases they usually agree to make peace with the applicant.

If a boss not only yells, but also humiliates a subordinate, then there is an insult to honor and dignity. The criterion for proof is profanity, affecting the personal qualities of the employee or members of his family. Such acts are punishable in accordance with Art. 5.61 of the Administrative Code, which entails a fine of 10 to 30 thousand rubles (for officials) and up to half a million (for legal entities).

What to do - advice from a psychologist

Let's talk about how to behave in a conflict with a manager when he unfairly accuses you or raises his voice.

1. Conduct yourself with dignity . Don’t gossip, don’t inform your boss about your colleagues, don’t get involved in dubious stories - in a word, take care of your reputation so that during the next scandal it will be difficult to reproach you for something specific.
2. Take a closer look at your behavior . The boss’s cry is not always an empty sound. If you are regularly late, do not comply with the dress code, or do not meet deadlines, then it is time to reconsider your habits and correct your mistakes.
3. Remember that you have rights . If necessary, you should remind the aggressive director: you can easily sue him, you just need to provide evidence. Perhaps this will pacify the law-abiding boss a little. By the way, this actually works, but filing a lawsuit is not an easy process.
4. Try talking to the director alone . He/she may feel a personal dislike towards you, and if this is true, it is worth finding out the real reason: if only for the sake of a productive work process. Just be sure to do this one-on-one - the boss will not show off in front of his colleagues, will not be able to avoid an important conversation and will be forced to focus on your problem.
5. Respect yourself . Trying to smooth out rough edges during a conflict, you risk finding yourself in a dependent position. You need to know where your professional responsibilities end and the whims of your boss begin.

Regulatory acts regulating liability for a crime

Art. 130, which provides for criminal punishment for insult, was decriminalized in 2013. Its functions are intended to be fulfilled by Art. 5.61, introduced into the Administrative Code. However, qualified compositions are retained in Art. 148, 297, 319, 336 of the Criminal Code. Their objects are persons serving in military units or judicial bodies, and the subjective side is expressed by the official duties of the victim.

How not to behave in a conflict?

Now let's discuss what is prohibited to do when the boss is rude and humiliating at work.

• Under no circumstances should you ingratiate yourself with the director in order to gain his precious trust. Moreover, all kinds of small gifts are prohibited. Not everyone will appreciate your initiative. In addition, the method is very unreliable and does not provide any guarantee that the boss will calm down and begin to behave acceptably.
• You cannot follow his example - never, under any circumstances. You will only demonstrate imbalance and bad manners to your colleagues.
• You should not discuss the director with other employees behind his back . Gossip has never led to anything good. And human decency is a very relative thing: today you are discussing an evil boss with a co-worker, and tomorrow a colleague is sitting in the boss’s office and telling you that you do not comply with corporate ethics.
• There is no need to dwell on this problem . If you can’t change your job, then just ignore the negativity. Find yourself a new hobby, spend more time with your family. Get plenty of rest.

Actions to take if your boss insults you

The simplest and most painless option for a subordinate, if the manager insults and humiliates, is to resign from this place of work. But not everyone can afford to leave their position.

First of all, you can try to explain to the offender that you will contact higher management if he does not stop his attacks. If the boss continues to insult the subordinate and does not respond to requests, write a complaint. It can be submitted to the director of the branch where you work, or sent even higher - to the management of the parent company. Large organizations have helplines where you can leave an anonymous request. Often, employees who have experienced humiliation at work from their manager are afraid to speak about it publicly. An anonymous call will be a way out for them.

Note!

If a boss insults more than just one employee, you can file a collective complaint. His actions may be seen as a violation of corporate ethics. It is possible that a manager who does not know how to communicate with employees will be demoted or simply fired.

However, higher authorities do not always respond to such requests. In this case, you must complain to the labor inspectorate.

How to contact Rostrud?

If your boss yells and humiliates you, use one of the following methods to contact the labor inspectorate:

• through the official website of Rostrud (registration on the government services portal will be required);
• through the website onlineinspektsiya.rf;
• make an appointment for a personal appointment (be prepared to have to adapt to the specialist’s work schedule);
• submit the complaint in paper form in person or send it by mail.

The fastest option is to submit your application via the Internet. On the Rostrud website or onlineinspektsiya.rf. Select the topic of the question, then indicate:

• place of work - name of organization, address, tax identification number;
• information about the manager;
• the essence of the violation;
• FULL NAME;
• your contacts;
• The way to receive a response is via the Internet or Russian Post.

Attach files and submit the form. A response must be provided within 30 business days.

How to complain to the prosecutor's office?

You can complain to the prosecutor's office if the insult of a subordinate by a superior falls under Article 5.61 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation. Let's consider the features of this type of offense.

Article 5.61 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation does not establish sanctions specifically for insults at work; it considers this offense in general terms. It is important to know that only phrases, gestures or actions in an indecent form are considered offensive if the offender’s goal is to humiliate the victim.

Note!

Insults include obscene language, unflattering comparisons, unwanted touching, unethical gestures, etc.

If a boss insults a subordinate and his actions fall under an article of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, draw up a statement and send it to the prosecutor's office. Indicate in it:

• all circumstances of the violation;
• name of the organization and full name of the head;
• your details and contacts.

The prosecutor may decide to initiate an administrative case or refuse. You can challenge it with the higher management of the department employee or in court.

The deadline for investigating the case is one month. After its completion, the materials are sent to the court. There the case is being considered for another two months. This is the maximum period. However, due to the workload of ships, it may be increased.

Liability for workplace harassment

Unfortunately, tyrant bosses are quite common.
And some of them are trying their best to drive the unsatisfactory employee out of the workplace through unpleasant statements and actions. In this case, the manager’s actions may be regarded as a direct insult. As a rule, in such situations, the manager is held administratively liable in the form of a fine of 3,000 rubles . But before that, it is recommended to try to solve the problem yourself, and point out to your boss that such treatment of your employees is unacceptable. If there is no positive reaction, you can apply to the prosecutor’s office to protect your rights.

To hold the company's management accountable, a citizen must draw up a written appeal that reflects the following information:

1. Time and date when the incident occurred;
2. The nature of the actions performed by the manager;
3. A list of negative actions that were committed against the applicant.

It is best to avoid details in describing the circumstances of what happened - they will all be clarified during further proceedings in the case.

Based on the results of consideration of the received complaint, the prosecutor makes a decision to satisfy the request to hold the employer accountable, or to refuse to initiate such proceedings.

Important! If for any reason an employee disagrees with the decision made by the prosecutor, he has the right to appeal it through the court.