My New Manager Is Rude And Has Made It Difficult For Me To Continue Working In The Company. Should I Leave?

Question From The Job Seeker

I have been working in an IT company for the last 18 months and I have been very happy with my job till now. I have a great office environment and the pay scale and timings are perfect. Moreover, the job is totally relevant to my profession and I enjoy doing every task. However like every good thing has to change, I had to face terrible disappointment when my manager resigned a month ago and somebody else was hired in her place. My previous manager was very understanding and helpful and appreciated my work.

Now, the new manager has initiated new policies which are not suitable for the employees who have been used to a very lenient work environment. Moreover, he is arrogant and makes very rude remarks about the team members. Since his appointment as the new manager, my job satisfaction level has decreased tremendously and I have stopped enjoying my work like I used to before he came. Not only me, but all the team members feel uneasy and are not able to perform their task efficiently under the new manager. Now I am considering leaving the job but the job market is not very favorable and finding a new job can take a lot of time. Moreover, I am not sure I will be able to find a job that I love so much again. On the other hand, the new manager is making it hard for me to survive here. Kindly advise how to address this issue so that I can keep my job and get things back to normal.

Hina Iftikhar

Answer From

Dear Hina,

It is indeed disturbing that your job has undergone such a drastic change and that too for worse. Finding a job that you love is hard to find and once you have that job it is important to retain that job at all costs. The problem you have mentioned is indeed complex as dealing with a problematic manager is a sensitive issue and one needs to be approach the issue carefully. However, it is possible to deal with the issue at hand but first you need to evaluate yourself.

As you have mentioned, the old manager was very lenient, you need to assess whether the new manager is actually being difficult or is it your perceptions since being forced to follow a routine can be tough if you are not used to it. It might be that the new manager is trying to bring about a change in the office discipline which can in long term improve the quality of work. Moreover, try to see if there are any discrepancies or problems in your work so that you can work on them. Self evaluation can help you in improving your performance and making sure that there is nothing lacking from your end.

If however, you are convinced that the fault lies at the manager’s end, it is best to talk to him. You can tell him that this certain policy is affecting your productivity negatively and hopefully something can be done to make it more acceptable. In all probability, the manager will work on that as he is primarily interested in increasing productivity of the employees.

Worst case scenario, the manager is totally unprofessional and holds a grudge; you can report his behavior to the HR or higher authorities. Make sure you have actual incidents of unprofessionalism at his hand which affects the company. Ask your colleagues how they feel about the new manager and take them on board if you are planning on filing a report.

We hope that you are able to sort the problem and continue the job you love.

Best of Luck,
Raheel Ahmed Khan