Is it ever acceptable to complain about a "bad boss"? (employee, interview)
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How you talk about one employer behind their back openly can easily transfer to another employer and be a reflection on your attitude and whether you will bad mouth them if they hired you. It's your reputation that is on the line. An ounce of discretion goes a long way.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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Complain to whom? If you "gossip" you never know who it may get back to. If you have a legitimate complaint take it to HR for their investigation and let the chips fall where they will. As a "boss", I would have a lot more respect for an employee that makes their complaint promptly, directly to me.
If we are talking about an interview and trying to get a job... don't complain about your current employer. It doesn't gain you anything. Sometimes you want your prospective employer to entice you with benefits to lure you away. Why do that if you current "boss/company" is a prick?
If we are talking about complaining about your boss to other coworkers... that can land you in a heap of trouble if you are backstabbed by coworkers.
A lot of people feel "hurt" or wronged if their boss is bad, which I don't understand. S/he is who they are, so why feel angry or wronged by what a stranger does?
When a bad supervisor is protected by a manager who doesn't care and lets them do whatever they want without sanctions then yes, it's a waste of time complaining about a bad boss.
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