My boss has been bullying me for some time. I've been belittled in front of other employees and family-members. I've been told that I can't take a break in an eight hour day because she's not paying me to take lunch and that if I don't fill out paper work correctly when people come in and out of the building that I will go to jail.

I'm sick of getting blamed for everything that goes wrong and I can't see what else I can do except leave. I've been forced out because of this - what do i do to get this resolved? She doesn't deserve to be a boss - she doesn't know how to handle it.
Shawna F

Matt Witheridge from Management Issues.com says:

I am very sorry to hear about the situation you have been dealing with. There is absolutely no reason to justify the lack of dignity at work you have experienced. It is inhumane, unnecessary and illegal.

In the first instance I would like to clarify some of the threats that have been levelled at you. Firstly, you are be entitled to a break if you are working an eight hour day by law.

Secondly the claim that you will serve a jail term for not filling in the paperwork properly is also nonsense. In the rare case that there were any criminal proceedings brought because of a filing error, it would be the organisation who would be ultimately liable and not yourself.

In any case of bullying and harassment I would urge you to check to see whether your organisation has a bullying and harassment policy and if it did, utilise it and make a formal complaint against your line manager.

However, in reading your email it sounds as if you might be working for a small, perhaps family owned business. These are notoriously poor for having adequate procedures for making such a complaint. In many cases, rather than helping your situation, making the complaint can often make things worse. Nevertheless, you should still file a complaint so there is a formal record of the bullying you are receiving.

I would really urge people to use the grievance procedures, both informal and formal as it will give them breathing space. Even if you think it will be a pointless exercise in terms of resolving anything internally, it is a must.

Nevertheless, in some situations it really is better to make a clean break. You do not deserve to be treated like this at work and prolonged exposure to this sort of intimidating behaviour will have dire consequences on your physical and mental health. The most important thing to consider throughout all of this is your quality of life.

What can you do to resolve this? It really depends on what you would like to see happen. It seems from your email that you are planning on leaving (or have already left) this job. If this is the case, you could still take your employer to court under a ‘constructive dismissal’ claim..

It is also important to point out the pitfalls of such a route. Taking a case can be a very expensive process with no guarantee of success. On top of this it often takes many months to conclude and forces the complainant to constantly relive their experiences. The whole process is often extremely stressful and does not give you a chance to move on, which is vital. Seek expert advice before advancing on such a journey.

To anyone who is currently experiencing a case of bullying and harassment the most important thing to do is to get support. Seek this support from friends, family and colleagues and especially your Union if you are a member. Suffering in silence is the worst thing possible.