South Florida Sun-Sentinel Palm Beach (Sunday)
Bad boss often the cause of quitting
Survey: 60% of South Florida workers say they’ve left unhappy with person in charge
Thank goodness that not every boss is as demanding as the fictional fashion magazine editor Miranda Priestly, played by actress Meryl Streep in the 2006 movie “The Devil Wears Prada.” Her employees scramble to try and anticipate her every desire, but can never seem to please her.
But in a good job market, workers are less likely to put up with intimidating behavior.
South Florida ranks No. 2 in workers quitting a job due to a bad boss, according to a national survey by global staffing firm Robert Half International. The region tied with Tampa for the dubious distinction.
Fifty-eight percent of local workers said they’ve quit a job due to a bad boss, which is higher than the national average of 49%.
Sacramento, Calif., ranked at the top of the list, with 66% of employees resigning due to their boss.
“If [workers are] not happy with current employer, there is always another option, especially in this job market,” said Brenda Arce, branch manager for Of-fice Team in Miami, part of staffing company Robert Half International.
Young professionals tend to quit jobs sooner if they’re unhappy with their boss, the survey indicates. “They feel more confident in the job prospects so they may not stick around when they have a bad boss,” Arce said.
The strong job market across the U.S. and in South Florida has something to do with unhappy workers quitting jobs.
South Florida’s unemployment is under 4%, while nearly all industry sectors are seeing job growth, according to the state.
Of those who are unemployed in Florida, more than 17% left jobs voluntarily in August compared with about 13% a year ago.
What constitutes a bad boss? While some are blatant — harassment, discrimination or other illegal behavior — other bad-boss issues may have to do with work styles, communication, or getting in the way of the employee’s success, experts say.
Arce said people who quit jobs or come to the staffing firm seeking a change often “complain their boss isn’t giving them the proper tools to succeed. They want to have a manager who helps them grow.”
South Florida executive and life coach Aimee Bernstein said any type of personality can be a bad boss.
“One type of bad boss believes they’re the smartest, they know everything. ‘Be loyal to me and do it my way.’ ” But if you go along with the boss, “you feel like you have no meaning or true contribution,” she said.
Another type is the perfectionist who tends to micromanage employees. In that scenario, “people feel they can’t bring their creativity to work.” Then there’s the bad boss that cuts corners and “doesn’t care about people’s feelings.”
Arce said workers who have a conflict with their boss should request a meeting to address the problem in a professional manner. Most managers are open to feedback, she said. “They may not even know they’re causing this conflict.”
“You don’t have to become best friends with them. But you need to have a respectful, day-to-day relationship,” Arce said.
Bernstein suggests that an unhappy employee head to human resources first, where any complaint should be confidential.
If you can’t afford to leave your job, make your boss “feel safe with you,” she said. “Say, ‘I’ll try it your way first.’”
“See the world through their perspective. They are under a lot of pressure also. Are they worried about their job, their productivity, their financial [situation]? If you come in with criticism or resistance, you become part of the problem,” Bernstein said.
Arce says that when you are fortunate enough to have a good boss, it’s important to appreciate them, noting that national “Boss’s Day” is Oct. 16.
“Celebrate managers
“You don’t have to become best friends with them. But you need to have a respectful, day-to-day relationship.” Brenda Arce, branch manager for Office-Team in Miami, on employees’ relationships with bosses
who are going a good job,” she said.
Where are bad bosses not such a problem?
Minneapolis, Atlanta, Boston and Philadelphia had the lowest percentage of employees surveyed who have quit over a bad boss, according to the survey.
Robert Half International had survey responses from 2,837 workers who are 18 years of age or older and employed in office environments in 28 major U.S. cities.