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I have an IT government job that I really like for the most part, but my boss has just made it practically intolerable, and I'm torn what to do here.
The climate is basically one of fear. If you are not 100% perfect all the time, he gets enraged, sometimes practically screaming and using the foulest language.
Today, he just lost it. We support an accounting system, and it got hosed after I was told by another supervisor to restore a database. He chewed me out, and tried to find a way to blame me. I showed him screenshot proof that I not even touched the live databases. So his next charge was that I should have anticipated the problem, and had known that restoring this database would cause problems. I caved and told him I would take some of the heat but I should have been informed about what was going on, and why the supervisor requested it. The blame should have fallen on him, not me.
Here's the real kicker. Anytime I do a restore, I always make a new backup to cover my ass. So we had to restore that backup. If I hadn't taken my own intiative and do the backup, we would have been screwed. My boss then angrily told us that if this backup didn't work, we are all fired. So bascially I was praying that my backup was good or I'm out the door. Thankfully it was, but he neverly gave me a heart attack with that threat.
Normally,I just let his temper flares blow off me and move on. It's not worth complaining when it might enrage him even more, but today crossed a line for me. I got chewed out for doing absolutely nothing wrong on my part, and I don't appreciate being threatened with losing my job. Awful way to manage. I feel I need to have a meeting with him to defend myself, but he is just such a loose cannon, I don't know how he will react or make things much more difficult for me.
Anyone ever had a boss like this??
My former boss was the epitome of everything that's wrong with a boss. Not only was he volatile and would yell at anyone (including clients and even his boss!), but he would also take credit for my work. He was a horrible guy to work for and it made my life miserable. However, because he was such a jerk, I kept my eye out for a better opportunity and I got a new job after spending a good amount of time under his tyrannical rule. My new job pays more, has better benefits, is much more relaxed, I have total control over the hours I work (my old boss would make me take PTO just to leave 30 minutes early...to volunteer with inner-city teenagers...instead of letting me come in early or take a short lunch) and the job has a much better career path.
Just put up with the tyranny, work your hardest and become the buffer for your coworkers in dealing with your boss.
As an added bonus, after I left my company, they realized that my boss was difficult to deal with and they sent him to a satellite office and made him move from San Diego to the central valley in California...a significant downgrade :-)
Yes, I have had a boss like this on more than one occasion and quit each time. I learned my lesson the first time when I almost came to blows with the guy because he was so abusive and made it personal. Life is too short for that type of negative energy. Move on unless you are positive you can't find another job and have small children to feed.
That's what I've pretty much decided. I've been here 5 years so I'm ready for a change. I'm just to the point where I can't stand to be around the guy, and it's uncomfortable just asking him for help or anything. Funny thing is how he completes turns it off and he's Mr. sweet loveable guy whenever his kids are there or people from other departments drops by. I don't think it would do any good to discuss the matter with his boss because I think she is the same way. Huge power trip. The joke is you don't go to her office without a gift or peace offering. My boss gets it from her so he takes it out on us. I'm going to document this incident as someone suggested. Days later, I can still hear him screaming how we F'd up the system and we're out of a job now.
That's what I've pretty much decided. I've been here 5 years so I'm ready for a change. I'm just to the point where I can't stand to be around the guy, and it's uncomfortable just asking him for help or anything. Funny thing is how he completes turns it off and he's Mr. sweet loveable guy whenever his kids are there or people from other departments drops by. I don't think it would do any good to discuss the matter with his boss because I think she is the same way. Huge power trip. The joke is you don't go to her office without a gift or peace offering. My boss gets it from her so he takes it out on us. I'm going to document this incident as someone suggested. Days later, I can still hear him screaming how we F'd up the system and we're out of a job now.
That last post brings up about three possibilities. Massive shifts in personality like that can be from a type of seizure (once got cold-caulked by a hospital patient with that), brain injury (did the guy box or play football?), or multiple personality. If it was MP, you would likely have figured it out by now. The inconsistencies are usually too much to ignore. OR... it could be the guy is just a jerk. Generally though, there are reasons for most behaviors.
That last post brings up about three possibilities. Massive shifts in personality like that can be from a type of seizure (once got cold-caulked by a hospital patient with that), brain injury (did the guy box or play football?), or multiple personality.
I deal with it by looking for a new job. If he's a big enough of an a-hole, I leave on the spot. That's one beauty of saving money. It gives you the freedom to tell a boss to shove it.
One can hope. Although I know of jerks like this that never get canned.
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You just repeated what I already said.
