Let’s take a random work environment, that of the news media, so as not to lecture the rest of the world once again without self-criticism.
Well, in this environment, at the Quebec station of Radio-Canada, a conciliator has just confirmed the conclusions of a report on the difficult work climate. After some 130 interviews, the psychologist noted signs of lack of respect, civility, recognition and support on the part of the bosses with many examples of insults, degrading comments, contemptuous attitudes, foul language, manipulation, lies and discriminatory remarks. Two executives have since resigned.
In 2020, Serge Fortin, vice-president of TVA Nouvelles and TVA Sports, and his senior assistant, André Chevalier, left their positions after an independent investigation that confirmed a difficult climate, to say the least. A former journalist spoke of a “regime of terror” and another, “of the worst years of his life”.
We could add examples of workaholics from the highest levels of media groups or of the most celebrated and publicized figures in the profession. But what’s the point, and we understand each other, because the scourge can strike anywhere: another report from a specialized firm has documented that a former governor general yelled and multiplied degrading comments such as public humiliations.
open hunt
Only, the pandemic seems to have stimulated the fed up of the victims. Times are changing and the pandemic has also sparked an all-out hunt for the atrocious boss.
“For about two years, our sofas have been used as offices. Colleagues are instant messenger avatars. And a workforce that has had disruptive changes imposed on it has reconsidered its fundamental expectations of how to treat each other in a company,” summarizes a recent article by the New York Times in the title could not be more transparent: “We will no longer work for bastards” (free translation). A quoted human resources specialist sums up the observation differently by simply saying that “tolerance towards Moron bosses [jerky boss] decreased “.
Did you say toxic?
English speakers therefore say jerk ”, which can be translated by “asshole” according to certain dictionaries, which seems to ignore the surplus of unpleasant fault involving repeated nastiness. The model would be Miranda Priestly, tyrannical editor in the film The Devil Wears Pradaand not the Michael Scott, branch manager of Dunder Mifflin in The Office, king of malaises, sympathetic and endearing in spite of himself.
So, what to say in French?
“There is no official vocabulary,” replies Manon Poirier, director general of the Order of Certified Human Resources Advisors of Quebec. Often we speak of “toxic boss” to designate the manager who has poor interpersonal skills, who humiliates his employees and disrespects them. He must be distinguished from the demanding boss who does not necessarily behave inappropriately. »
Jessica Riel, a professor in the Department of Industrial Relations at the Université du Québec en Outaouais and a specialist in occupational health, asks not to personalize the problem too much either. “I talk more often about the organization of work which creates toxic conditions,” she says. I am not a psychologist, I do not study individual behavior: I am interested in psychosocial risks and, within these risks, some contribute to mental or physical health problems. But hey, I understand that saying “toxic boss” or “jerk boss” draws attention. »
The two specialists agree: the unhealthy manager does not have a gender, and no environment seems immune to this occupational disease. Psychology professor Tessa West has just published Jerks at work: Toxic Coworkers and What to Do About Them (Portfolio). She generalizes the problem even more by explaining that the bosses are far from having a monopoly on toxicity at work. Colleagues can be just as annoying. Hell is other people, of course. She adds that no environment seems immune to the toxicity of others.
“I’ve seen Nobel laureates exhibit the same behaviors in meetings that I’ve witnessed in the factory,” Professor West said in an interview with the Guardian. “Anger outbursts, reputational damage, inflated egos, credit theft, microaggressions, passive aggression, all affect us deeply. »
Prevent and cure
The growing awareness of the problem by companies is explained by a new sensitivity to the problem of harassment, but also by a balance of power that is more favorable to employees with the growing labor shortage.
“The law of the market means that people endure difficult situations more when it is difficult to find a new job, whereas in a situation of full employment, people have the latitude to look elsewhere,” says Ms.me Pear tree. More generally, our society no longer tolerates behaviors that were commonplace not so long ago. Bosses and bosses with inappropriate behavior are no longer endured: organizations increasingly understand their responsibilities in the face of this problem. In short, an alignment means that this type of management will tend to disappear. »
Quebec labor standards law requires employers not to tolerate harassment. Unfortunately, it’s far from perfect, says Professor Riel. “Still a lot of people in precarious situations or who don’t want to be labeled as complainers keep quiet, endure,” she says. Denunciation can be difficult. There is still a lot to do in some circles to detoxify them. »
Ideally, the human resources advisors of the professional order see the problems coming. They can also intervene after the fact to diagnose the work climate and try to improve things. HR then pays attention to the drop in the level of productivity, the rate of absenteeism, staff turnover, but also responses to mobilization surveys, seen as newsletters from managers.
“Companies need to change the selection of managers, says Ms.me Pear tree. Obviously, the boss must understand finance and its business. But he must also be able to mobilize his staff. It is very human work. Organizations need to understand that the best technician doesn’t have to be appointed as the team leader. This is the mistake made again. Often, moreover, the best manager does not understand the whole technique of job and let the employees do their jobs in peace…”