Exclusive: 45% of South West employees have felt bullied by a boss

New research has revealed that 45% of people in the South West have felt bullied by a boss throughout their careers, and a huge 87% said they would confront their boss if they thought they were in the wrong.

The survey of more than 1,000 employees was carried out by UK printing supply company TonerGiant. Interestingly, 42% of the South West see their boss as a friend, but not a close one.

When asked what we are most likely to do in order to impress our boss, problem solving came out on top in the South West, with 24% of employees doing this to win bosses over. Pay is the subject employees in the region find the most difficult to discuss with their bosses, followed by pay and deadlines.

The top five most difficult topics to discuss in the South West are:

1.     Pay– 20%
2.     Personal/family life– 19%
3.     Mental health– 11%
4.     Deadlines– 9%
5.     Workplace bullying– 7%

Unfortunately, 30% of people in the region do not feel their current boss will help them to achieve their career dreams. 

The top five worst traits for a boss in the South West:

1.     Being unapproachable– 30%
2.     Micromanaging– 15%
3.     Being unapologetic– 12%
4.     Not asking for help – 9%
5.     Not joining in on the tea round – 9%

The top five best traits for a boss in the South West:

1.     Supportive– 20%
2.     Approachable – 19%
3.     Honest– 19%
4.     Fair– 9%
5.     Honest – 7%

The survey also asked the UK which celebrity figures they thought would make the best boss:

1.     Sir Alan Sugar – 20%
2.     Jeremy Corbyn – 16%
3.     Elon Musk – 11%
4.     Boris Johnson – 11%
5.     Donald Trump – 7%

Ever wondered what Trump's business might card might look like? In support of the survey, TonerGiant has also mocked up some celebrity business cards which you can view here: https://www.tonergiant.co.uk/blog/2018/07/famous-business-cards/

Marketing manager for TonerGiant, Stuart Deavall commented: "Our relationships with our bosses and how we conduct/present ourselves in business triggered an interest for us as it is a huge part of what we do. The way we market ourselves is important, and the business cards shed a humorous light on how this can be done. We couldn't resist imagining what the business cards of famous bosses might look like."