What should I do if HR doesn’t do anything about my toxic boss?

11/15/2024, 8:15 AM
fastcompany.com

Welcome to Pressing Questions, Fast Company’s work-life advice column. Every week, deputy editor Kathleen Davis, host of The New Way We Work podcast, will answer the biggest and most pressing workplace questions.

Q: What should I do if HR doesn’t do anything about my toxic boss?

A: This is a frustrating and all-too-common situation. There is a widespread belief at many companies that human resources is there to protect and serve the needs of the company, rather than the humans that work there. If you have a toxic boss, chances are it’s not an isolated incident. Toxic bosses who don’t face repercussions are often a symptom of a larger toxic workplace culture, which, unfortunately, may include HR.If you’re asking this question, chances are you’ve already taken the important first steps when dealing with a toxic boss:1. Managing your manager by addressing their exact brand of toxicity.2. Managing your own energy to try to maintain your sanity.3. Reported the issue to HR.If you’ve taken all those steps and given it some time, check back with HR for their official word on what is being done to address your bosses’ behavior. Chances are you aren’t the only one impacted, and there is power in numbers. If you feel comfortable reaching out to colleagues, going to HR and senior leadership at your company with complaints from several employees can make the problem too hard for them to ignore.

If your workplace is represented by a union, that is another possible avenue to try to address a workplace grievance. Your union representation is there to protect the employee’s best interests and may be able to put pressure on leadership to make a change.If you’ve tried all of those avenues and there still isn’t a change, your only option is to find a new role. Few people have the means to just walk away from a job, and even in a job you aren’t happy with, it’s not a good idea to leave without notice. You can see if there are other departments or managers you could work with instead and make a temporary or permanent internal move.Most likely you’ll want to look for a job at a new company. Take steps to preserve your well-being while you look and then dedicate as much mental space as you can to the pursuit of a better role. (Also make sure to look out for toxic boss red flags as you interview.)But what about after you move on? Attitudes are changing about what’s appropriate to share online, and some people have taken to warning others about their former toxic bosses on platforms like LinkedIn. It might be an old-school mindset, but I think the risks outweigh the benefits when it comes to using social media to air your complaints. Before you post anything about your former company or boss, you should also double-check what you are legally allowed to disclose. While there has been pushback in recent years, non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) are very common and by some estimates around a third of U.S. employees signed one when they took their jobs. NDAs typically bar you from saying anything negative publicly about your former company for a certain amount of time. You may have signed one as part of your onboarding paperwork and forgotten about it. I absolutely believe that workplace misbehavior should be addressed, but unless you are pursuing a legal case, there isn’t much you can hope to change by blasting your former boss or company online. If you want to warn potential future hires, posting anonymously on a platform like Glassdoor will more effectively reach potential hires, without impacting your professional reputation.

Want more advice on dealing with toxic bosses and HR? Here you go: