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The behaviour of a bad boss can be bad for one's health That's M Life y very rst fulltime job was in the shipping department of a clothing store that was micromanaged by a guy whose meddling gave me migraines. Down the road, I found myself toiling in a busy newsroom under a belligerent boss whose untimely tirades contributed immensely to my insomnia. Oh, and then there was a brief period in which I worked for a boss who was cuckoobananas. Seriously, the guy existed on a diet of chocolate bars and bananas. To boot, he believed he was smarter than everyone else on the planet and he played psychological games to prove it. He took pleasure in calling me in on my days off. Naturally, I quit answering my phone. So, in those days before voicemail, he'd just dial my number rst thing in the morning and let it ring. For the entire day. To this day, I associate a ringing phone with that boss. And the ringing still makes me anxious. All of which is to say I learned at an early age, bosses come in all sorts of packages -- some excellent, some good, some bad, some unfathomably atrocious -- and employ all sorts of management techniques. I also realized early on, bosses could not only have a profound effect on of ce productivity, morale and success, but also on the health and well-being of employees. This week, I came across an article in The Washington Post that served up some science 37 | Thursday, October 30, 2014 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com Andy Juniper Guest Contributor to support the notion that "having a bad boss can make your work life a misery, but it can also make you sick, both physically and mentally." According to Jonathan D. Quick, an instructor in medicine at the Harvard Medical School, "the evidence is clear that the leadership qualities of `bad bosses' over time exert a heavy toll on employees' health." And here we're talking chronic stress, high blood pressure, insomnia, mental health issues, increased risk of heart attack, and all the behaviours typically tethered to stress: overeating, smoking, excessive use of alcohol. Further, according to Quick, "despite the rationalizations some leaders may use to defend their stress-inducing, unsupportive style, such behaviour does not contribute to improved individual performance or organizational productivity." Well, tell that to Mr. Incompetence (not his real name), the news editor who would make himself scarce whenever there was work to be done, only to storm into the newsroom min- utes before deadline, screaming at the top of his lungs, such counterproductive things as: "Stay calm! Relax!" And with each bellow everyone's blood pressure would soar while our chances of making deadline decreased. On nights when that editor was AWOL, we worked for a cool, composed editor who calmly guided us through deadlines we never missed. I believe everyone has a tale or two about a belligerent, batty boss who made their lives miserable. Likewise, I know there are employees currently trapped under the thumb of a bad boss who is making them sick. Literally. And what advice do the experts offer employees caught in the bad boss trap? Find another job. Fast. Before your health sails south. -- Andy Juniper can be contacted at ajjuniper@gmail.com, found on Facebook www. facebook.com, or followed on Twitter at www. twitter .com/thesportjesters. Halton.ca 311 NOTICE OF CONSTRUCTION Watermain on Dundas Street (Reg. Rd. 5) from 300m West of Towne Boulevard to Sixth Line Town of Oakville Contract Number: Scheduled Start Date: Scheduled Completion Date: Project Manager: W-2845B-14 October 2014 June 2015 Rick Ranalli 905-825-6000 ext. 7619 Do you have an emergency GO-kit? Emergencies can happen at any time and it's important that residents are ready. There are three simple steps you can follow: know the risks, make a plan and get a kit. Having an emergency GO-kit is an important step because it allows you and your family to be selfsufficient for 72 hours while emergency responders focus their attention on response efforts. Gary Carr Regional Chair Your kit should include items like a flashlight, battery-operated radio and blankets. For a full list of what to include, where to buy one, or what else you can do to prepare for an emergency, visit Halton.ca/beprepared or dial 311. Halton Regional Meeting Schedule Nov. 11 9:30 a.m. Nov. 12 9:30 a.m. Meetings can be viewed at Halton.ca/meetings Administration & Finance Cttee. Regional Council 301014 Health & Social Services Cttee. Nov. 12 1:30 p.m. Planning & Public Works Cttee. Nov. 19 9:30 a.m. Please contact us, as soon as possible, if you have any accessibility needs at Halton Region events or meetings.