Nearly half of all U.S. employees have worked for a bully at some point in their careers, according to a new survey by the Employment Law Alliance. In the nationwide poll, 44 percent of respondents said they have worked for a manager they consider abusive. The study reveals that abusive supervisor behavior is escalating into a dangerous workplace problem.

In the survey, abused employees described bullies who degraded them in public, rudely interrupted them, criticized them in front of their coworkers, yelled at them, or simply ignored them altogether.

Employers should take note of the survey because 64 percent of the respondents believe abused workers should have legal recourse to sue their abusive bosses for damages. But there are other critical -- although less litigious -- consequences of abuse. "Demeaned workers respond with a reduced commitment and loss of productivity, and they run for the exits," says Robert Sutton, author of The No Asshole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn't. "It is time for senior management to realize that this conduct damages their people and is costing them a fortune."

If you exhibit some abusive traits, you might think you're succeeding in bullying people to up their level of performance. But in the end, your employees will settle the score by withholding their best efforts. Values-based leadership allows you the luxury of being effective without abusing your workers.

Labels: employees, leadership, values

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