Or are you just being paranoid? 11 signs to look for.
You don't want to be paranoid, but you're beginning to think your terrible boss has you in his or her cross hairs. Whether or not you always had a great relationship with your supervisor, it's troubling at the least and extremely stressful at the worst when you think your boss may be out to get you. What are some signs that you may want to start looking for a new job?
You lose privileges.
If you've always been able to work from home or come in early and leave late and all of the sudden, things change, you may begin to wonder why you've lost favor. Are you failing at your job? Keep in mind, sometimes, these changes are not personal, but if you are the only one experiencing the shift, you should wonder why.
The boss pits you against your co-workers.
If the office begins to feel a lot like a school playground where your boss is the bully trying to set up fights, it's possible he or she is trying to get rid of you. Keep your cool and maintain your composure to avoid falling into any traps that could result in you losing your job.
You get a transfer to an undesirable location.
If your one hour commute just doubled because you were assigned to a new location, it's possible your boss wishes you'd quit.
You receive a new set of duties that are beneath your skill set and experience.
This could signal that your boss is picking on you if no one else is seeing a change in their work plans.
The boss looks the other way when co-workers are abusive or mistreat you.
Bullying in the workplace should never be tolerated or accepted. If you don't have your boss' support and are experiencing this behavior, it's time to learn about the chain of command and understand your rights in the organization.
It's difficult for you to take vacation or sick leave.
If the boss won't approve your vacation so you can attend a family member's wedding, and there's no business reason for the refusal, you may begin to wonder if the boss has it in for you.
You can't get permission for professional development.
If your company allows you to take classes or attend conferences, but you can not get permission to improve your skills on the company's dime, it's not a good sign.
All of the sudden your boss becomes a micromanager.
This isn't a surefire sign that anyone is out to get you, but it is suspicious. Find out if there is something afoot that would cause your boss to suddenly take an interest in the minutiae of your daily workday, and be concerned if others are not experiencing this change.
The boss doesn't take your calls and isn't accessible.
Even if you never had a true open-door policy, if you suddenly can't get an audience with your supervisor unless you accidentally bump into him or her in the rest room, it's reason to question why.
You are excluded from big meetings and decisions.
If you're accustomed to being involved in decisions and all of the sudden, you are the last one to know anything, you may begin to worry about your standing at work.
The best assignments go to others.
This could be a problem if you always won the plumb jobs and now you never do.
Don't be blindsided; when office politics and attitudes shift, you need to keep an eye out for how your standing in the office may be affected and act accordingly. You may want to have a heart-to-heart conversation with your boss to try to improve relations, or it may be time to quietly start looking for a new job.