Bored Panda had a chat about managerial 'tyrants,' nonsensical rules, and passive-aggressive communication with employees with workplace expert Lynn Taylor, who was kind enough to share her perspective and answer our questions. Lynn is the author of the bestseller 'Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant: How to Manage Childish Boss Behavior and Thrive in Your Job,' the head of the fashion brand 'Behind the Buckle,' and also runs a popular blog on Psychology Today.

"The proverbial power play at work can be maddening, especially when Draconian managers are in their element. These tyrant bosses can be downright insulting in their regular communications. And expert bullies can create rules and regulations that make you feel like you’re in 3rd grade; the recipient of a final parental warning; or reside in a bizarre prison. Heavy-handed signage, notes, and email reminders can run amok, making an otherwise decent job quite demoralizing," she told Bored Panda.

Workplace expert Lynn shared the steps that you can take as an employee in these situations with Bored Panda:

• "First, make sure you’re seeing a pattern before taking action. Typically, the real offenders have bad office habits that are hard to break. The techniques worked in the past, so they continue, and you’ll see more than one instance. If the signage becomes repeated and overbearing, it’s not your imagination.
• Depending on the relationship you have with your boss, and if the behavior is more episodic, you may be able to approach them, using reason. For example, you might suggest an internal memo that addresses the issue and explains the importance of doing X, with a team-oriented approach. It might read something like, 'I know we’re all working hard to meet our 4th Quarter project deadlines; thank you for the extra effort,' versus signage that, in effect, says, 'Get here on time, or else!'
• If the one-on-one approach won’t work or fails, there’s always power in numbers. Discreetly speak to your fellow beleaguered office mates, and see if the demoralizing signage is making everyone want to crawl under their desks in exasperation. If so, your group can propose a civil productive discussion, starting with the manager. If that doesn’t work, there’s the boss’s boss, and after that, Human Resources.
• Remember the end goal; to change the dialogue and make it more positive. Remind your boss of the end goal, too. Subtly let it be known that the oppressive approach may backfire, the stakes, and what will have the best outcome. If the notes are redundant, petty, or nonsensical, use your best emotional intelligence and be the voice of reason.
• Don’t fight fire with fire. If you’re the lucky recipient of an insulting email or note, don’t play the game. If you witness a passive-aggressive piece of communication, don’t try and think of a super clever retort. Just ask for clarification, e.g., 'Just so I understand, are you saying you want a more detailed report?' You want this to be a win-win (and keep your job, if it’s worth keeping!).
• If the language in company signs and communications is intimidating as opposed to merely disheartening, and the situation is untenable, it is likely time to visit your favorite job board."

According to workplace expert Lynn, rather than always relying on signage or written communications to deal with sensitive topics, managers ought to have a regular forum where they can raise important issues.

"The item can be on the agenda, whether it pertains to new employee manual practices, office rules, personal time, etc. It might be a monthly staff meeting in person or Zoom call. The topics can be discussed at a regular meeting, but there’s nothing wrong with having a meeting to discuss administrative issues; get employee feedback; answer questions; and provide leave-behind materials," she told Bored Panda.

"One of the best things you can do is take excerpts from the company manual and ask the team to comply. That way, no one feels personally attacked. Consider the operative word, 'ask' for compliance; never threaten," the author of 'Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant' explained how managers might want to maintain discipline among their staff.

"The emphasis is on 'team' because you’re only as good as your staff. Condescending notifications often backfire, but finding the positive angle that will appeal to the team is far more productive. Give your staff the benefit of the doubt; be encouraging; use emotional intelligence; and treat your staff like the adults they are. Remember the value of positive reinforcement; when employees get what you’re asking for and deliver, let them know you’re appreciative. Just be careful you don’t patronize when employees perform the task at hand privately or publicly," she said.

Meanwhile, if there are only a few employees who are consistently breaking the rules or not complying with business practices, it's best for managers not to make the entire team feel responsible. "It’s better to have private conversations with the individual employee(s) than to bring the whole team down," Lynn said.

"Finally, your employees are the best source of information that will support productivity. Consider soliciting ideas from your team on how to boost morale. If you must post signage, consider a contest on the most creative way to communicate the request. When your team is invested in an outcome, the results are almost always more favorable. The labor market is still strong, so it behooves managers to humanize their work environment, committing to motivational and retention practices."

There’s a delicate balance that needs to be maintained at work. On one side of the scale, you’ve got things like company morale, how inspired, creative, and motivated your employees feel, how much they trust their bosses, and how satisfied they are with their jobs and the opportunities that they’re offered. You want to know that your hard work pays off... though sometimes it totally doesn't.

On the other side of the scale are things like company profits, maintaining protocols and regulations, having a general sense of order and discipline, and keeping potentially reckless or unmotivated workers’ actions in line with the overall interests of each department.

In short, there’s no excuse for being toxic or rude as a boss; however, it doesn’t mean that every single employee is somehow above criticism. It’s human to err. And last we checked, our AI Overlords haven’t replaced any of the staff with androids (...yet).

There’s usually a deeper story behind each passive-aggressive office sign. Perhaps a manager feels underappreciated or believes that their workers are slacking off. Maybe they have a very different work ethic that’s completely at odds with the values held by younger generations. Or they had a really bad day and lashed out in an emotionally immature way.

Remember, just because someone has a fancy job title doesn't mean that they're actually a better person and more capable leader than you. You can be a leader no matter where in the corporate chain you fall.

That’s what happens when you have extremely poor communication within an organization. Managers and ‘regular’ employees need to know each others’ expectations and to enforce healthy boundaries. It all comes down to showing respect for everyone’s time, energy, and dignity, as well as looking for compromises. If either side is brow-beating the other, odds are that it’s a toxic place to work and not many people will stick around for long.

Look, at the end of the day, we’re all responsible for our own happiness, work/life balance, priorities, and what kind of behavior we’re willing to tolerate. Now, that’s no excuse for others acting like jerks and bullying you day-in, day-out. However, it does mean that we have to be proactive in sorting out the problems that drag us down at work.

That might mean different things for different people. Does your coworker keep microwaving fish and stinking up your office 24/7? Sit them down for a quick friendly chat and ask them to stop instead of putting up passive-aggressive sticky notes all over the kitchen.

Does your boss give you more and more work because you finish your tasks quicker than others? Have a discussion about a possible promotion because of your excellent results. Explain to them that there should be incentives in place to work faster instead of hard work being punished. Remind them how much you bring to the company at least a couple of times a year.

Is your boss 'quiet firing' you by subtly letting you know that you have absolutely no future career path at the company? You need to diplomatically confront them about being sidelined, hopefully, with HR acting as a witness. Odds are that your boss is extremely frightened of any and all confrontation and is taking the easiest way out by forcing you to leave on your own.

Is your manager all grumpy that you’re not a brainwashed cultist showing absolute loyalty to the company and living every day in anticipation of going to work? Are they making you sing and dance in mandatory corporate TikToks? You might want to get HR or some other more-or-less-neutral party involved and set clear boundaries. If they keep harassing you to work unpaid overtime or guilt-tripping you to work on your days off, it’s time to have a very diplomatic-yet-honest chat about what the company is willing to offer you moving forward.

Obviously, if you’re harassed and feel unsafe at work, you need to get in touch with union representatives or seek legal help.

Meanwhile, if you feel burned out, chronically anxious, and depressed, it might do you well to speak about your issues openly with a close relative or a trusted friend. Seeking psychological help from a counselor can help solve some of these issues. Seeking help isn’t weakness. Taking active steps to solve deep-rooted issues, even if it’s going slowly, shows strength.