The Supreme Court has ruled that employees can be dismissed for using filthy language against superiors. Another judgment delivered on the same day says that similar action can be taken against workers who beat up their bosses. The judgement says, ??the language used by the workman is such that it cannot be tolerated by any civilised society.?

Few will cavil at this pronouncement. But the truth in the Indian job market is that abuse or bullying is more likely to be the other way around. It?s the bosses who do the bullying.

The bullying and abuse is not restricted to the shopfloor alone. It exists in the executive ranks too. The CEO at a company that belongs to one of India?s oldest business families has a peculiar workstyle. He makes it a habit to slap his senior executives. ?It establishes my authority,? explained the CEO recently. But doesn?t it undermine the authority of his senior executives? ?What authority do they have,? countered the CEO. ?They are here to convey my orders. On their own they are nothing.?

When it?s the top boss himself misbehaving, you have limited options. As much as you may be tempted to, don?t slap him back and walk out. Such an action has the potential to humiliate him totally and make him a laughing stock. He will hound you throughout your life.

A more difficult situation arises when you are working in an otherwise professional set-up, but it is your immediate boss who is impossible to get along with. Comments the site www.mytoxicboss.com about statistics from the US: ?A recent survey of 9,000 federal employees indicates that 42 per cent of female and 15 per cent of male employees reported being harassed within a two-year period, resulting in a cost of more than $180 million in lost time and productivity.?

BOSS TO ORDER

The different types of bullying bosses Constant Critics: They use putdowns, insults and name-calling. They may use aggressive eye contact to intimidate. Two-headed Snakes: They pretend to be nice, but all the while try to sabotage you. Gatekeepers: These are people who are obsessed with control — who allocate time, money and staffing to assure their target’s failure. They are control freaks. Screaming Mimis: They are emotionally out of control and explosive. Source: Bullying and Trauma Institute

Incidentally, women bosses harass women far more than male bosses. Says a report from the Workplace Bullying and Trauma Institute, woman to woman bullying accounts for half of all workplace bullying. Man to woman is 30 per cent, man to man 12 per cent and woman to man bullying is only 8 per cent.

So what do you do when you are caught in such a situation? All the authorities say that you should confront your abusive boss. Ask him if he has a problem and see if you can work out a solution. If that can?t happen, take it to a higher level. But make sure that you have ample documentation of all the bad behaviour. A diary of dates, times and incidents goes a long way in establishing you credibility in case there is a formal inquiry.

Finally, don?t let it get you down. The problem is very often not you but your boss. Remember you can always walk out. Even if you lose out in the process of changing jobs, it is all for the best in the long run.