More and more employees have to deal with intrusions on their personal time every day. The coping mechanisms cited in this Wall Street Journal article are naive (such as offering to work 12-hour days instead of giving up your Saturdays) and don't usually have the desired impact. I have found in my research that one must distinguish between a demanding boss and a unreasonable boss. A demanding boss expects results and is usually open to being challenged on reasonableness and will negotiate expectations of subordinates. An unreasonable boss is usually a bully whose motivation is to make the subordinate fail. So before adapting a coping mechanism, make sure you understand what you are dealing with. My new book From Bully to Bull's Eye: Move Your Organization Out of the Line of Fire (RCJ Press; January 10, 2017) will help you make this distinctio.
Credit: BIGSTOCK
