A Survival Guide for Working with Bad Bosses: Dealing with Bullies, Idiots, Back-Stabbers, and Other Managers from Hell

Chapter 23. Dirty Looks

Today, with all the regulations and sexual harassment lawsuits in the workplace, you wouldn’t think bosses would still engage in so-called “lewd and lascivious” behavior. Yet some bosses (usually men) still do. And when they are particularly important and powerful, they may get away with this, even when employees (usually women) complain. One reason they do so is that when employees fear losing their jobs, particularly in a tight job market, many stifle their complaints or don’t follow through when an initial complaint is not acted upon. So the situation continues, while employees feel violated, angry, or anxious, yet don’t know what to do.

That’s the problem Audrey faced when she worked for about a year at a research lab. ...