Two in five employees have quit because of bad manager, study finds. More than two in five employees have left a job because of a bad manager, a poll has found, as experts warn of the “abundantly clear” cost of poor management.
In one study of 7,272 U.S. adults, Gallup found that 50 percent of employees left their job "to get away from their manager to improve their overall life at some point in their career."
According to research, bad bosses are the # 1 reason why people leave their jobs. Whether it's a boss who micromanages, criticizes everything you do, or fails to provide support and guidance, a bad boss can be a major source of stress and frustration.
New research shows that over 57% of unhappy employees leave their jobs because of their bosses.
Think it through
Take time to decide if you really want to leave. Your boss may make you feel like you're living a nightmare, but there may be good reasons to stick it out. For example, you might be learning the skills and gaining the experience that will position you for a promotion or higher level job elsewhere.
More than two in five employees have left a job because of a bad manager, a poll has found, as experts warn of the “abundantly clear” cost of poor management.
The Bottom Line on Bad Bosses
Employees' motivation, creativity and performance are devastated, costing them years of career growth. At home, their stress and unhappiness take an unavoidable toll on their personal relationships.
Bad managers prevent their employees from advancing
If there are no viable alternatives, upper management may not fire a manager that they know is bad. Poor manager often stunt their employees growth, thus preventing them from becoming real competition for the management job.
If the manager were terrible, it would likely take them getting demoted or fired for things to get better. Your manager may be unaware of their performance. So, HR might require them to receive additional training or take extra steps to ensure there's a positive change.
Recognize Good Work
79 percent of employees who quit their jobs say a lack of appreciation is a major reason for leaving, according to research from O.C. Tanner. The kicker is, recognizing employees for their good work isn't even hard to do, nor does it have to be expensive. For example, at BIA, we created the WOW!
A bad boss keeps their employees from growing
They know the best employees are interested in taking on new projects, learning about the latest software and even earning professional certifications. Why do good people leave? Because they often feel stifled and like they're plateaued at their current place of work.
The method takes an aggregation of employees' judgments across the seven different questions. When we make this calculation, approximately 13% of workers are estimated to have bad bosses.
82% of American workers said they would potentially quit their job because of a bad manager. 84% of American workers said they could do their manager's job. 83% of American workers said they could do their own job without their managers.
Our recent poll found that 64% of respondents have experienced a toxic work environment–and 44% blamed leadership.
That doesn't mean you should run to HR every time you make a mistake and they reprimand you — that could be justified — but if their reaction involves screaming, petty insults that don't seem to have much to do with your work, aggression or other behavior that upsets you, it might be time to report them.
A toxic boss is a manager who demoralizes and damages the people underneath them. Their repeated, disruptive behavior drives employees to become disengaged, diminishes their sense of belonging, and takes away their autonomy and sense of purpose—all of which are vital for thriving at work.
The discipline for managers varies, depending on the infraction. Managers whose performance falls below the employer's guidelines might receive a tangible form of discipline while other indiscretions are more appropriately addressed by remedial, instead of punitive, action.
A bad boss doesn't support their team, communicate clearly, or respect boundaries. Here's how upper management can encourage better practices. Having a bad boss can make every day at work feel like a struggle. Communication is hard, individuals don't feel recognized, and their support needs aren't being met.
Bad bosses don't consider the career paths or goals of their employees. They demote or promote staff based on subjective, rather than objective, merits. Bad bosses reward those who support their bad behaviors. They intimidate and bully employees and colleagues.
The impact of workplace trauma can vary from person to person, depending on the nature of the trauma, the individual's coping mechanisms, and their support system. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for employees to experience PTSD due to dealing with terrible bosses or toxic work environments.
A bad boss' narcissism convinces them that they're always right, so they reject help from others and don't learn from their mistakes, Riggio says. “We're drawn to these people who appear competent — like they can take charge and handle a leadership role,” he explains.
It's often said that people quit bosses, not jobs. A bad boss can make a good job miserable and a bad job unbearable. Beyond the negative impact on individual employees, ineffective managers can also cost companies tons of money in turnover and lost productivity.