Bullying by boss

solarpowered

In work this week I noticed that my boss was always asking me what I was doing in front of other staff. Im only the trainee accountant but I feel that he doesn't trust me. He even asked me for detailed receipts for my exam fees. It's my first real job out of college as I was unemployed for a year but it's really effect my cinfidence

tatli_lokma

You ned to speak to him about it. But I think you will find that you are perhaps being a bit oversensitive.
He is an accountant - figures, black and white, facts, details - these are the things that accountants need in order to feel confident that things are correct. Of course he will need detailed receipts - if he is any good at his job, anyone in finance who deals with expenditure needs proof of exactly where the money went. I can't understand why this would be an issue. I am assuming his asking for your exam fees is because they are somehow funded by work?

Asking what you are doing is a legitimate question - even in front of other staff. If you are doing what you are supposed to be doing, then what is the harm in saying 'oh I'm just finishing that report'. If he is a person who tends to bully and intimidate, don't rise to it - just give him a no nonsense straight out answer. 'I'm finishing x/y/z task. Then I am going to a/b/c. Why? is there something else you would like for me to do?'. Put the ball back in his court.

You are a trainee - you are not yet to be trusted. This might sound harsh, but its true. Perhaps he is asking what you are doing because he wants to be sure that you understand what is needed/ grasp the concepts etc. He might be going about it in a way that makes you feel undermined, so of course you can raise that with him, but don't expect him to stop checking and double checking that you are doing what you are supposed to do and that you are doing it correctly.

It seems like micromanaging, but as a trainee this can be to your advantage. I once had a boss who in the beginning I thought, like you, was just an ar*ehole - why are you doing this? why didn't you do it that way? what is the correct way to do this/that? Turns out, that his reason for questioning everything was to ensure that I thought about everything I did and could defend any of my actions should I need to. When it comes to audit time you will need to be able to do this and be confident that you are doing things right - not just 'cos that's how I was told to do it'. Having said that, I did find his manner a bit off-putting and discussed it with him - explained that it makes me feel on edge and then I was more likely to make mistakes/ question myself. In fairness to him, he did then modify his questioning a bit so that this tone changed - it was more like a discussion as in 'now tell me why you're doing it this way?' whereas before it was 'what are you doing and why?'.

So perhaps discuss with him what expectations he has of you, what he would like to see you doing etc and get an idea from him what he feels you are doing well and can improve. Then from there broach the subject that at times it feels a tad undermining and that it is affecting your confidence.