How Can You Tell You Work for a Toxic Boss? They’re Known for These 5 Things

With so much of our employees’ work lives now blending with their personal lives, having the wrong boss can make the work-life blend a liquified hell.  

Plenty of research states that people leave bosses rather than jobs. While no manager is perfect, certain behaviors may clue you to the reality that you’re reporting to a truly toxic boss.

As someone who has literally recovered from the physical and emotional trauma stemming from having worked under a stifling, fear-based corporate dictatorship, I’ve observed five common toxic boss traits or habits that may be present in your work environment.

Narcissists lack empathy, have a strong desire to break rules and defy the status quo, are likely to engage in manipulation to advance themselves at the cost of others, and are socially skillful with aggressive underpinning motives. Does this sound like your boss?

Toxic bosses insist on getting their hands on every aspect of your work. They have a hard time letting go and trusting their team members to perform their work. As a result, the employee experience under such suffocating micromanagement can be downright demoralizing.

While good bosses will set the bar high and stretch you to reach new heights while supporting you along the way, toxic boxes can sabotage the workplace by setting goals so high and expectations so unrealistic, it may often be impossible to complete the task, leaving employees disengaged and hopeless.

In meetings, toxic bosses may cut off their employees as they present an opposing view or idea that doesn’t align with their own. A toxic boss may deliberately shut others down if he doesn’t like their opinions. And when personally interacting with a toxic boss, you may hear disparaging comments about other people (rumors, gossip, gender bias) or see body language such as eye rolls when speaking to them.