We all wish for the perfect job, the perfect paycheck, the perfect employer. Unfortunately, we don’t live in a perfect world. While we strive for happiness in all three categories, the reality is, for the most part, that many of us compromise from time to time. But what happens when you have an unsavoury working relationship with the person responsible for your paycheck and engaging work? Most bosses will issue direct complaints to employees they are taking issue with, but others use indirect methods to indicate their displeasure. Feeling cold in your office? It might not just be from your amped up air conditioning. Here are seven signs your boss is passive-aggressively trying to push you out of a job.

1. Micromanagement. Is your boss stepping into your office to check your progress far too often? Do you find he or she is unimpressed with your work even though you feel you have done a good job? When your employer suddenly starts explicitly describing how they want things done, it could be a sign that they don’t feel you are capable of doing your job. Without that trust, you’re viewed as extra weight, or worse, a dummy that has to be hand held through the course of the project.

2. Avoidance and indifference. Occasionally, rather than getting on your case about everything, superiors will do just the opposite. You sense a great deal of avoidance despite your boss having time for your colleges. Or perhaps your concerns are met with an uncaring attitude. Your boss is revealing that you just aren’t important to him or her. Their time is valuable and if they don’t want to see you, it could be a message that they feel you are wasting it.

3. Forgetting about you. Are you feeling invisible? Picture this, a team you’re a part of suddenly disappears to attend a project meeting in which you were not invited. Did your boss simply forget to inform you or were you intentionally left out? Either way, it’s a sign that your employer doesn’t see you as a necessary part of the working unit.

4. Severe criticism. If you find that your ideas are being met with ridicule from your boss, it is a sure sign there is an issue. Open meetings are forums for creative expression without judgement. Any kind of negativity directed at one person is an obvious indicator of disrespect in the workplace.

5. Lack of constructive criticism. Work performance evaluations can be a great way to determine if your boss has an issue with you. This may seem counter intuitive, but if your report comes with zero feedback, there could be a good chance that you’re thought of as excess baggage. Even worse, this could be an indicator that you will soon be replaced. Why would an employer waste time reviewing the activities of a person that will soon be let go?

6. Assigning menial tasks. Does this describe your work day? You are asked to make coffee, run errands, or buy lunch while the rest of the staff remains productive at their desks. You’re not an intern, so why is your boss asking you to be the office’s errand boy? Assigning less than compelling tasks targets you as incapable and dispensable. Perhaps your employer thinks you’re only good at running out for coffee.

7. Hiring someone to replace you. Perhaps the most alarming sign that your workplace environment no longer wants you around is if you see a new face on the scene. Some employers will go so far as getting a new hire to replace you while you’re still on the job. If this is happening, you don’t need us to tell you that your superior is unimpressed with your job performance.

While all of these issues are scary and disheartening, if any of these circumstances happens to you, there is a way to salvation. Remember that your boss is human. One on one communication can, in many cases, save your working relationship. Tactfully ask why your employer is treating you this way and discuss possible solutions. Do not deride or chastise. Avoid emotion-filled language and speak to them in a strictly professional way. If all else fails, you can consider resigning. No matter how good the pay or position, nothing is worth being maltreated at work.

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7 Signs Your Boss Is Pushing You Out

Career Advice Career counselling, advice and guidance
Select article category

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Productivity Tips
Workplace English
Industry Stories
Job Search in Hong Kong
HR Career Success
How to Get Promoted
Career Path Planning
Career Coaching & Guidance
Advice Columnist