11 Ways a Nightmare Boss Sucks the Life out of Employees

Last week we talked about how a terrible work culture is taxing on employees. Now it's about bad bosses.

With so many horrible bosses out there, it seems like one that actually treats employees with respect, appreciation, and care is a legendary myth. We're all too familiar with nightmare bosses. Which is terrifying considering these stats we discovered from our research:

• Employees with respectful managers are 32% less likely to think about a new job
• Strong management transparency leads to 30% better employee retention
• Micromanaged employees are 28% more likely to think about a new job

Your employee retention rate needs managers with leadership qualities that include respect, good communication, and trust. But what happens when employees don't get that? Here are the 11 ways a nightmare boss sucks the life out you:

(Hate your boss? Click here to anonymously refer your company to us, and we'll help you fix that.)

1. Employees feel lost

Without clear direction, employees will constantly be confused and left in the dust. You don't have to necessarily dictate every move, but at least let employees know what the goal is and what needs to be done. Otherwise, they'll never complete anything or achieve any of their goals.

2. Stealing credit is like stealing a soul

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A nightmare boss doesn't give credit where credit's due. And what happens to employees when their boss does that? They feel like all the time and effort has gone to waste.

People identify themselves with their work — it's their heart and soul. And when success has been taking away from an employee, they feel empty inside.

3. No path leads to suffocation

Employees want to develop and grow professionally. When bosses stick people on the same old tasks over and over ... and over again, they begin to feel like they're trapped and have nowhere to go.

It's like eating the same three meals every single day — you begin to grow tired of it. People need variety.

4. Nothing ever gets resolved

When employees feel like they can't approach their boss with an issue or concern, they'll continue to pent up those negative emotions. And having a culture that fosters closed communition only leads to a culture of disengaged employees.

5. Work takes over

A bad boss doesn't recognize when employees are overworked. Well, let me rephrase. A bad boss recognizes when their employees are overworked but does nothing to help alleviate that stress.

There are down times and busy times at work, yet when it's constantly busy and employees are left to work 12-plus hours every single day, you're leading them down the route of burnout.

6. Employees are left in the dark

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One of the most common characteristics of a bad boss is hoarding information. It's the perfect way to have a confused workforce that's constantly making up assumptions of what's happening in the company. These assumptions can easily spread around like wildfire, and as the saying goes, "perception leads to reality."

7. Revenge is the name of the game

Bad bosses are also my-way-or-the-highway people. If anyone disagrees with this person, you can bet they're on the manager's bad list. Just say goodbye to raises, promotions, and special projects now.

8. Public shaming is the norm

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No one wants to be embarrassed in public. But a bad boss doesn't care. They'll criticize their employees in front of everyone instead of speaking privately to them. It's their way of asserting authority.

9. Employees serve them

Rather than thinking of their team as, well, a team, a bad boss thinks of their employees as their servants. They sit on a throne with their feet kicked up while their employees pour sweat and blood over their work.

10. No clear intentions

SOURCE: bestanimations.com

A terrible boss is always weaving a web of lies. Employees can't trust them and are always wondering what their true intentions are.

11. No sense of worth

Bad bosses don't care about their employees. To them, people are just numbers. In their world, there's no such thing as employee recognition or appreciation. It's a me-me-me world.

Not every boss has to be a terrible one. There are ways to improve your leadership qualities — it just takes time. Start with recognizing your employees and communicating with them.

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