Workplace environments aren’t always the pleasant, comfortable, and productive places we would like them to be. With all the stress related to meeting client requirements, completing work quotas and projects on schedule, and other work issues, it is not uncommon for people to have bad days. So, it is possible for frictions to arise and conflicts to flare up with your boss. However, occasional heated exchanges are one thing, and regular abusive diatribes, controlling behavior, unwanted sexual advances, and career sabotage attempts are quite another.
What to do if you have an abusive boss?
If you have a boss who has developed a habit of screaming at you and belittling your abilities at every opportunity, it can be exceedingly unpleasant and difficult for you to cope with your everyday tasks. You may be on tenterhooks all the time about what your boss is going to say next and that nervousness could affect your ability to concentrate and perform well. Unfortunately, in such situations, leaving the job may not be an option, especially if you have a family depending on your income.
That doesn’t mean you need to put up with the abuse, however. As an employee, you have specific employment rights guaranteed by the US federal law and the California state law. These include the right to work in a safe work environment. By abusing you, your employer is violating these rights and can be brought to account legally.
Before you take that step, though, you might attempt to talk with your boss and explain how their derogatory statements are causing you emotional distress. Some people can be clueless that they are being abusive and may amend their behavior when you point it out. If your boss is a deliberate bully, though, this tactic is not likely to work, and, if you still want to talk with them, you should take someone along as a witness. You should also bring the matter to the attention of your company’s human resources department by filing an official complaint.
As employers are legally obliged to protect their employees’ rights, they may take disciplinary action against your toxic boss. However, if they ignore the situation and allow the abuse to continue, you must take matters into your own hands and consult an employee lawyer in Los Angeles as soon as possible.
How can an employee lawyer help you to deal with an abusive boss?
A competent lawyer will have a sound grasp of the federal and state employment laws and will know how these apply to your case. Many lawyers offer a free initial consultation during which they will assess the facts of your situation. They will let you know if you have a general nuisance complaint or a valid abuse issue that warrants legal action.
They will also explain the kind of outcome to expect, such as the damages you can recover and the possible effect of the legal proceedings on your subsequent career. For instance, future employers might perceive you as a troublemaker and shy away from hiring you.
If they take on the case, the lawyer will file the legal complaint within the stipulated deadline for such cases. They will investigate the matter in-depth and gather relevant evidence to prove how workplace abuse created a hostile environment for you.
The evidence can be nasty emails, notes, text messages, voice mail, phone calls, or video calls from your boss. It can include deliberately poor work evaluations and descriptions of malicious actions to undermine your career. Additionally, it can include notarized statements from witnesses of the abusive behavior. If you have medical reports of anxiety, stress, PTSD, or other health issues arising from the abuse, and any hospital bills or therapy expenses, add those to the evidence as well.
Depending on the specific details of your case, the employee lawyer in Los Angeles may be able to get you back and front pay for the abuse-related work disruption. You could also receive compensatory damages and punitive damages for your suffering, and get injunctive relief to continue working with the company. As per the injunction, the company will have to create and enforce an official anti-harassment policy and give adequate training to its staff.