It’s hell if you find yourself in a toxic workplace environment, answering to managers and bosses who try to exert control over you in whatever way they can. Being stuck in a job like this will, eventually, have negative effects on your emotional, mental, and physical health. And sometimes speaking up and trying to defend your boundaries simply doesn’t work.
Redditor u/ChopsNewBag turned to the ‘Legal Advice’ online group for help regarding a very nasty situation at work. He revealed how his boss canceled his doctor’s appointment without his consent, and how he reacted to this behavior. You’ll find the full story below, including the advice shared by various internet users. Bored Panda has reached out to the author for further comment, and we’ll update the article as soon as we hear back from him.
US employers can face penalties if they violate the rules of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996
Image credits: Getty Images / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
One employee asked for advice online after his controlling boss canceled his doctor's appointment without consulting him about it first
Image credits: Getty Images / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Ahmed / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Getty Images / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
Image credits: ChopsNewBag
Breaching HIPAA rules can force companies to pay massive fines, depending on the severity of the case
According to the HIPAA Journal, a HIPAA violation is “any failure to comply with the HIPAA regulations—which can include the unauthorized access, use, or disclosure of Protected Health Information (PHI), the failure to provide patients with access to their PHI, a lack of safeguards to protect PHI, the failure to conduct regular risk assessments, or insufficient workforce training on the HIPAA rules.”
HIPAA refers to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, which was initially introduced to ensure employees could maintain healthcare coverage between jobs, as well as to prevent their discrimination for pre-existing conditions.
“The failure to comply with any standards in these Rules is considered a violation of HIPAA—even if no harm has resulted. For example, one of the most common types of complaint relates to the failure to provide patients with copies of their PHI on request.
The penalties for somebody violating HIPAA rules depend on the nature of the violation, the level of culpability, how much harm was caused, and the efforts made by the business to mitigate the breach or its impact.
Less serious violations can be resolved by offering technical assistance. However, more egregious breaches can result in “substantial financial penalties.”
For instance, The HIPAA Journal explains that a Tier 4 breach, the maximum level of culpability (neglect, not rectified within 30 days) can result in a minimum penalty of $71,162 per breach, with a maximum penalty of $2,134,831.
Meanwhile, a Tier 1 breach (reasonable efforts made to correct the issue) has a minimum penalty of $141 per breach, with a maximum of $71,162.
Controlling bosses tend to use fear to force their employees to behave a certain way
Image credits: Wesley Tingey / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
As per the author of the viral post, his boss has a pattern of “very controlling and intimidating” behavior. Nobody should have to work under someone who tries to direct every aspect of their employees’ lives, especially if this happens in a morally gray area.
According to Indeed, controlling bosses use fear to achieve their goals. “A controlling manager may use fear to motivate you to achieve job goals. For example, managers typically can fire or discipline you.”
What’s more, overly controlling bosses typically assume they know everything, tend to dominate during meetings, and control various aspects of your workload. For instance, they might demand that you check in frequently with your progress. Or they micromanage every step that you take.
One of the most important things that you can do is keep digital and paper evidence of any potential misconduct or breaches of workplace rules. Emails, text messages, documents, etc. are invaluable when you make your case.
Generally, if there are workplace issues, it’s best to try all possible avenues to solve the problem before escalating further. So, you start off by talking with the problematic person. If that doesn’t work, you can bring the question up with your manager or their superior.
Get the human resources department involved. If that fails, you can either ask for a meeting with the head of the company, talk to your union rep, or consider filing a formal complaint against the company.
If the activities you’ve witnessed are criminal, you’ll also probably have to get the authorities involved. In the most egregious cases, you may want to consider suing your workplace.
Controlling bosses also often ignore other people’s ideas, communicate poorly, and make their staff feel inferior to them. “A controlling manager may use sarcasm, intimidation or even silence to make you feel bad about yourself. If you feel inferior, it’s easier for them to manipulate you into doing what they say. They might also ignore your emails or calls, especially when you need their input for a project.”
What is the worst manager you've ever worked under, dear Pandas? Has a boss ever tried to cancel your doctor's appointments before? What advice would you give the author of the story? Let us know below.
Later, the author shared a few more details about the sensitive situation at work
Here's how some internet users reacted. Meanwhile, other readers rushed to give the author some advice
