Turn the Tables and Rate Your Boss

Everybody has had a bad boss. Wouldn't it be great if you could have been warned about yours in advance?

Asher Adelman decided to do just that when he launched eBossWatch in June, with the goal of helping employees avoid hostile workplaces.

Almost half of working Americans have suffered or witnessed workplace bullying, including verbal abuse, job sabotage, abuse of authority or destruction of workplace relationships, according to a new Workplace Bullying Institute/Zogby Interactive survey, which has been tracking this field since 1984.

Adelman, 33, was one of those victims when he worked under a horrific boss at technology company Slangsoft. The workplace he found after being hired was a surprise: "It seemed like a great company after the first interview, but the CEO terrorized employees from cursing, name-calling to public humiliation," Adelman recalls.

Top-Down Design

Especially for small businesses, the state of the working environment is crucial: When there are fewer employees performing a wide range of duties, it is important for everyone to work well together. Small businesses, therefore, need to carefully consider employee-boss interaction, including both sides' motivation and engagement.

Mary Clark, executive director of Winning Workplaces, a nonprofit organization committed to helping small and midsized workplaces succeed, agrees. "An employer that has an engaging workplace holds onto its employees better. They offer better customer service, better products and are more innovative and sustainable."