Self Care – How To Weave It Into The Working Day.

Posted on 20/08/2021 | by Leigh | Leave a Comment

Today we’re talking why self-care is not just for after work and the weekends.

Self care, most simply, is the act of looking after your own mental and physical health. It means different things to different people, and everyone practises self care differently. Today on the blog, we’re looking at how you can incorporate self care into your working day and why you should.

Go outside on your breaks.

Going outside is an instant mood booster. Fresh air is never a bad thing! If you work somewhere where you don’t leave your office all day, make an effort to go outside on your coffee breaks and on your lunch break. Alone, or with colleagues, get outside and take in some fresh air. Why not walk around the block or eat your lunch outside? This is a great idea especially in the winter months where there is less day light. Vitamin D (when the sun is out) and fresh air are natural mood boosters – what’s not to love?

Stretch often.

If your jobs requires you to sit down all day, you need to take time to stretch. Muscles that aren’t used, weaken and can seize if you’re working in a still, uncomfortable position for extended periods of time. Every time you stand up to get away from your desk, stretch out your muscles. Being continuously uncomfortable can lead to strain injuries. Do your muscles a favour and make sure to keep moving and keep stretching!

Practice self care at work by eating well.

Eating well is the simplest form of self care. It can be hard to eat well at work. Maybe your boss has ordered in Pizza for everyone on a Friday, or someone has brought in home baking. Maybe clients have dropped in chocolates as a thank you. It can be so tempting! Make sure to balance the treats with healthy meals at work. We don’t want you to hit the 3pm sugar slump. A body that has proper nourishment from good healthy foods is more productive and can concentrate better.

Make your working environment as comfortable as possible.

There is nothing worse than feeling uncomfortable at work. If you need a new desk or a new chair, ask. Do you think you would prefer a standing work station? ask for that too. If you work somewhere that is too dark, too bright, too warm or too cold, it can only make your job much harder. Ask if you can move your desk. It’s also a nice idea to make your working environment an extension of you, give it a personal touch. Decorate it if you are allowed to. Add pictures, a reed diffuser or stationary that you enjoy using. Make sure your desk stays clean and tidy too – tidy workspace, tidy mind.

Stop isolating yourself.

Sometimes all we need is a pal. Isolation makes us feel lonely. Stop going and grabbing your tea or coffee alone. Why not go to the staff room for a coffee break with a colleague. Have a chat for 10 minutes about non-work related things, get away from your desk. We can get so used to sitting alone that we can finish our working day without barely speaking to anybody. It becomes such a habit that we don’t even realise! Chatting to others is a mood booster, and it’s also a nice way to

Self-care isn’t just for afterwork and weekends. We need to make sure we are looking after our bodies while we’re at work too. After all, we spend most of our time there! Do you practice any self-care at work? What are your favourite things to do to ensure mind and body wellness at work? Let us know!

Is Dentistry Right For You?

Posted on 11/04/2021 | by Marcus | Leave a Comment

You are a compassionate person, great with your hands and creative in finding solutions. You enjoyed the sciences at school and thrived under the pressures at university. Your heart is full of hope and aspiration. Does this make you a natural dentist? Is dentistry the right career choice for you?

Your Journey

You spend time shadowing a dentist and realise that you are only at the start of a very long journey. The length of this journey is not defined. You are in control of how far you want to take your career. Is your eventual aim to become a dental provider in a small community where dentistry is managed around your lifestyle? Or perhaps you want to move towards a specialism and become a referral point for all other dentists? Maybe you will find your niche as a solid player on the front line of a large clinic and be happy with not having the pressure of clinic ownership.

Dentistry as a Lifestyle…Is it the right career choice for you?

Is dentistry the right career choice or is lifestyle more important?

Career Choices in Dentistry

These are just a few of the wide variety of choices facing young dentists as they set out on their dental career. However,there is no right or wrong answer, it is simply a case of finding out what is right for you…what is good for your life value. Is money your driver, or is providing oral health for everyone your driver? Is time your biggest influence and finding a work/life balance that allows you to pursue other interests?

You are one step closer to happiness. You have made your decision on how you want your life story to play out. Be entirely honest with yourself. However, another way of looking at this is to ask yourself what the rewards for your efforts should be? Is being rewarded with happy and healthy patients enough for you? Perhaps your reward is winning an accolade, or being invited to give a presentation or training session? How important are the material things such as a quality car, a larger house, or a statement watch?

The rewards that you aim to gain from your dental career, almost defines your career path. Do you elect to work in the NHS environment, possibly in a dental hospital or in a local clinic? Perhaps you jump into private dentistry to see more challenging cases and reap higher rewards? Do you look into buying your own dental clinic, or a partnership in one?

Recently, we have seen many dentists launch a secondary earning stream. This could be anything from working for a supplier or manufacturer to singing on TV. In short, dentists are becoming more entrepreneurial. Is this something that you should be considering?

Who Can Advise You?

Talk to as many people around you as you can about your career path, and not just your colleagues in dentistry. People outside the profession may not fully understand the nuances of your choices. They will be able to offer advice on what makes you happy. This is vital. There are too many unhappy dentists around us who have not been honest with themselves and have aimed at the wrong path. We are often too insular in dentistry, especially when talking about our careers. Break this mould and talk to friends and family who have nothing to do with dentistry as they can provide you with the clarity of vision we all need. Most importantly, is dentistry the right career choice for you?

The 5 Questions

Rudyard Kipling’s 5 questions are vital…who, why, where, when and how? Who do I want to work with? Why do I want to work in that type of clinical environment as opposed to another? Where do I want to work? When do I want to work…and when do I not want to work? How do I find this ideal role? The last question is simple…you are on the right website to find a wide variety of roles across the UK and soon in Australia. We wish you every success in finding the right career path for you, and to finding the right role to achieve happiness.
https://blueglovejobs.com/

You can also check out clinics across the UK on
https://www.defactodentists.com/

Good Luck With Your Job Search

You can also post your job vacancies on this website by clicking on https://blueglovejobs.com/

Attract the Right Talent in 3 Easy Steps

Posted on 24/04/2019 | by Marcus | Leave a Comment

3 Tips to employing top talent

How to influence them in their views of working with you.

Interviews are stressful for everyone concerned. This blog looks at the interview process through the eyes of a candidate. We want to increase your chances of attracting the right dental talent. We look at what they perceive rather than what you portray, so you will get an insight into how you could attract the right dental talent.

Step 1 – The job advertisement.

Bored of seeing the same old recruitment adverts?

Have a look through other job descriptions and ask yourself if you would apply for that job? How well is that clinic describing the role you may be interested in? As a candidate, how would you like that information presented? What details do you want to see? What is going to motivate you to apply for the job?

Let’s look at a few examples. Many agencies have a standard format which they load up on their websites. Job descriptions seem to be identical. Candidates do not get a feel for individual clinics, the clinic principal, or even the style of the clinic. An example may be you appearing too needy. Do you seem desperate to entice the right person. Some adverts hold back on information and seem guarded about the job being offered. This would most likely raise suspicions. Attract the right dental talent is your aim.

An easy way of defining your advertisement is to describe yourself as a boss or employer. Clear, concise, professional, engaging, supportive, intelligent, motivating, are all words you could describe yourself as. Reflect these in your advert. Are you the quirkiest, funniest dentist on the planet? Your advert should reflect this. You get the picture.

Fact – 72% of employers feel their job description is perfect and only 36% of candidates agree.

Step 2 – The interview

You have attracted a bunch of like-minded candidates and you are planning initial interviews. Abide by a simple rule and your results will improve immediately. Candidates should be told of your 2 interview approach. Now they know what to expect. The first interview is all about them selling to you. The second interview is about you selling to them. You also need to give more details on the role.

To get past the first stage and find a few ideal candidates, you must apply the one mouth, two ears approach. Using this ratio, listen more than you speak. This allows you to learn more. You will note both positives as well as negatives, giving you a final score. The end of the interview should err on one side or the other. If you have an equal balance of positives and negatives, you do not have the right candidate. Your candidate will feel that they have impressed you. Now you can try to gauge if they have impressed you as much as they think they have.

The second stage is where you have each other on the hook. However, you have not yet attracted the right dental talent. This is when you can assess if the culture you have created in the clinic is conducive with the candidate’s personality and work ethic. Assess whether they will work well with the support team and your administrative procedures. How excited are they about learning and does this fit in with your own enthusiasm? The second interview you must adopt two mouths and one ear as you both try to sell to each other. Show them around your clinic with pride. Describe your aspirations for the clinic and let them feel part of that.

Having convinced yourself and your ideal candidate that you have discovered the dream team, follow through as swiftly as possible. Make your offer, shake hands on it, get contracts to them the next day. The ball may be in the back of the net, but a goal is not a goal until the referee blows the whistle.

Step 3 – The first day

are your staff happy?, staff morale, employee morale — Attracting the best dental talent.

This is where you and the team have to deliver. New candidates have been at other interviews and possibly have other job offers. If the smiling interviewer suddenly turns into a dragon, your ideal candidate will run to the hills (or around the corner to take up that other job offer)!

Make the candidate feel welcome and at ease. Ask someone to take them around the clinic again so they can buddy up from the first instance. Make sure everything is in place in their clinic, ready for the first patient. Prime your support staff, so that they all make the new start feel part of the team.

At the end of day one, take time to have a chat about how things went and invite an open discussion on your new talent’s thoughts on the clinic. First impressions count. This not only applies to new staff, but also for new patients. Feedback is vital so absorb everything that is said. Maybe now you have attracted the right dental talent
Attracting the best dental talent.We wish you every success in hiring your next big talent. Blue Glove Jobs will help you every step of the way, ensuring that your advertised role is promoted across our various social media channels and through our neork of contacts in the profession.

Post your job vacancies by clicking here.

Have you made full use of your clinic’s listing on DefactoDentists.com? This is an ideal way to promote your clinic to the public and to prospective staff. You can check your clinic’s listing by clicking below.

Find your nearest dentist — https://www.defactodentists.com/

The Four Day Work Week Is Good For Business – Here’s why.

Posted on 13/11/2018 | by Leigh | Leave a Comment

The Four Day Work Week has been risen in popularity over the past few months.

More and more organisations are trialling the new working pattern and going on to fully adopt it. But why has it become so popular all of a sudden? Gone are the days of a Monday-Friday 9-5. Today we’re chatting all things four day work week and why it is a positive thing for business.

What is a four day work week? why is it so popular nowadays?

Instead of working Monday to Friday, 9-5, staff are now able to work only four days in the working week. More often than not, the staff members are allowed to choose the day that they don’t work. It’s no surprise that a recent survey showed that Friday is the most popular day to take off, closely followed by Mondays (who doesn’t love a long weekend?).

The Four Day Work Week is not a new concept, with many businesses in other European countries having already adopted it. It’s becoming more popular because it has seen increased morale among staff and higher levels of productivity than in a full 5-day work week. It also promotes better work-life balance as employees are able to spend more time at home. At the minute, it might seem like a bit of a craze that it sweeping across the world, but could this be the new way of working?

Why the Four Day Work Week Is Good For Business.

Having a four day work week might sound like less work would get done, but there are surprisingly many benefits to an organisation that offers a four-day work week, such as:

Staff become more motivated and more productive
Increased staff moral and mental wellness
Being able to spot where time was being wasted, allowing for smarter working
Staff taking less time off as they have more time to spend with family
Staff becoming more committed to the organisation thanks to the unique flexibility of the working pattern

What are the benefits to members of staff?

One less working day (woohoo!)
The same level of pay despite working a day less.
Feeling less pressure in the workplace
Being more productive and seeing goals being achieved in shorter lengths of time.
The flexible working pattern can suit lifestyle requirements (e.g. childcare).
Choice of which day of the week you would like to have off.

Sounds great – can there even be any drawbacks to working 1 less day?

In short, yes.

As much as the 4-day work week sounds great, in some cases it isn’t possible. In organisations that are over-worked, a four day work week could do more harm than good. If you’re working a job doing the work of two people, trying to do that in one less day is going to be impossible. From an organisational perspective, people management can also become harder. Monitoring who is working when, and navigating days off around mandatory working events such as staff meetings could become challenging too.

What do you think of the 4-day working week?

Is the four day working week good for business? We think so. What do you think? Is it something that you’d like to see integrated in your workplace? let us know in the comments below!

The Most Sought After Work Perks In The UK.

Posted on 29/10/2018 | by Leigh | Leave a Comment

Ahhh, work perks.

You either have them, or you don’t. Some companies have fantastic work perks, the ones you see in viral listicles about ‘the coolest places to work’ usually with Innocent drinks and Google appearing in said listicles. More and more pressure is being put on employers to provide these ‘work-perks’ which are said to boost employee morale and attractiveness of a company.

Today, we’re looking at the most desired work-perks, and if they really matter in the workplace.

What even is a work perk?

Simply, a work perk is a ‘perk’ that is put in place by management in recognition of your hard work within the organisation. It can be simple things like a longer lunch break, or being able to wear what you like to work. Or it could be a bigger perk such as being able to choose your own working hours or getting a pay rise. However, they’re not as simple to manage as they may seem, and can cause problems in an organisation. What you might think is a perk of the job might be someone’s idea of a nightmare. You might love casual Fridays but Helen on reception might hate them. Steve might think company cars are great but everyone else in the office can’t be bothered tracking the milage.

What are the most sought-after work perks in the UK?

Unsurprisingly, coming in at the top spot is additional holidays and leave from the workplace. This is closely followed by flexible working hours – again unsurprising that this is so high up the list. More and more people want flexible working hours to fit around their lifestyles, for example if they have children, or if they want to sync their days off with their partner’s shifts etc. Coming in at third place is a company car or compensation for travel expenses. The least desired work perks in the UK are dress-down Fridays, charity event days and budgets for training.

What are the most widely offered work perks in the UK?

So we’ve just looked at the top three work perks that are most desired in organisations in the UK. But what work-perks are we actually receiving? Coming in at the top of the list is staff discount. Everyone loves to save a little money here and there, so it’s unsurprising that this is coming out on top. Whether it be discount within your own company, or within different companies (e.g. NHS and Military Forces) discount is the most widely offered work perk in the UK.

Not quite, but nearly matching the most desired work perk, the second most widely offered work perk in the UK is additional holidays and leave from work. Maybe workers are just being greedy after all. Almost 20% of UK businesses give out additional leave as a work perk to employees that are working hard.

Third on the list is food and drink that is subsidised or completely free during shifts. This is most common in the hospitality industry. Fast food workers often get the option of 1 free meal per shift. Those working in restaurants often receive receive a portion of food during their shift, particularly if they are working during a meal time. Other organisations have subsidised canteens, making it cheaper for staff to eat, instead of paying more from fast food joints and burger vans near the workplace.

Are we just being ungrateful?

Are we really just being ungrateful about our work-perks? You might be getting a subsidised lunch, but deep down you want more holidays. Dress down Fridays aren’t quite as cool as company cars. While you might not be over the moon about your work perks, just remember, there are companies out there with no work perks at all! What do you think? Do these little perks really make a difference to your overall attitude to work or are they just a gimmick?

What is your most desired work perk? Is there anything your employer could offer you as a perk that you couldn’t refuse?

Let us know in the comments or chat with us on social media! @blueglovejobs

www.blueglovejobs.com

The Secret To Being Happy At Work

Posted on 02/10/2018 | by Marcus | Leave a Comment

Know someone who loves their job, never has a bad day at work, and always looks forward to their working week? You can be like that too.

It might seem a little mind-blowing, we know. Loving your job might be an alien concept to some people. If you’ve been plodding along in your job for a good while, it might seem impossible to actually look forward to going to work. Today on the Blue Glove Jobs Blog, we are sharing our secrets to being happy at work.

Create a workspace that you love.

If you’ve got the luxury of your own dedicated desk, make it your own. A pen pot with some nice stationery, a photo frame with a motivational quote or some pictures of your family, a potted plant. Whatever decorative pieces you like, take them into the office and decorate your desk. Another idea may be to move your desk around and maybe put it in front of the window for a change? Studies have shown that a comfortable and welcoming workspace boost productivity and morale. Give it a go and see how you feel!

Work on that work life balance.

The secret to being happy at work lies in the hands of your work-life balance. We’ve written a bunch of posts on ‘work-life balance’ before and we are big advocators of everyone manifesting a healthy work-life balance, no matter what stage you’re at in your career. When your work-life starts to take over your home-life, take a step back and re-address the boundaries. You shouldn’t be answering e-mails or calls once you’ve left the office. You shouldn’t be spending your weekends working on projects at home . It’s easy to understand why someone with a poor work-life balance doesn’t feel happy at work. Work time is work time. You have a life outside of work, too. Make sure you live it!

Learn New Skills.

A secret to being happy at work is to keep on learning. It’s easy to get bored of the day in day out activities. You can often feel like you’re going round in circles. Learning something new is the best way to keep your mind busy and to keep yourself interested in your job. So why not ask to help out on a new project, or ask if you can help out on some different tasks? Change is good, and you’re never too old to learn something new.

Stop Sweating The Small Stuff.

Everyday comes with a new set of challenges. Sometimes these can become frustrating but instead of getting annoyed, learn to enjoy the ride and take everything with a pinch of salt. One way to do this is to practice being present and living in the moment, rather than getting caught up in the stresses of the past or future.

Why not give it a try! Why not implement some of our top tips to see if they can improve your mood and help you feel more happy to be at work! If you’re still not quite there, don’t worry. There are plenty of vacancies on our website up for grabs! Check the picture below to find a job that makes you happy!

feel under pressure, under pressure at work

UK Workers Continue To Feel Like They Are Under Intense Pressure At Work

Posted on 02/10/2018 | by Leigh | Leave a Comment

Feel under pressure at work?

Don’t worry, it’s not just you. Across the board, workers are feeling the pressure. New studies have shown that the UK workforce is working harder than ever but productivity has started to flatline. Today on the blog we’re looking at the reasons why we’re now under more pressure than ever at work, including poor resources and the evil necessary of technology.

New Survey Results

The Skills & Employment survey, a joint project between Cardiff University, University College London and The University of Oxford recently discovered that UK staff are now working harder than ever before. They are working harder and faster, with more and more workers heading home exhausted and worn out. The study paints the UK workforce in a good and bad light. It shows that we are committed, hardworking and determined. It also highlights that UK workers have less control in the workplace and that people are less anxious about losing their jobs than in previous years.

Working Hard But Standing Still.

We might be working harder, but the study shows that we’re still “standing still”. But what does that actually mean? Well, we might be working harder, but we don’t have the equipment or skills to become more efficient at what we do to alleviate the pressure. Think about it, have you ever asked your boss about upgrading your computers that always crash, or upgrading your internet that lags everyday? Got till systems that breakdown frequently? That’s exactly what we mean by standing still. You might be working hard, but your work environment and equipment is holding you back.

Feel under pressure outside of the workplace.

Technology has been described as a necessary evil. Could you imagine a workplace where you couldn’t communicate via email. You had to make all calls from a land line and text messages and video conferencing still didn’t exist? We dread to think what it would be like. As more and more technologies have been introduced to the workplace over the past 30 years or so, it’s becoming hard and harder for us to become uncontactable. You’re getting E-mails right before you go to bed, you get work text messages as you sit down to eat your dinner. It’s making workers feel like they’re unable to switch off because they feel under pressure to respond instantly. We’ve written about ‘switching off’ and the importance of work-life balance here if you want to know more.

Do you feel under-pressure at work? How do you cope with it? Let us know in the comments or hit us up with your thoughts on social media! We’d love to hear from you!

Dental Associate Interviews: An Ultimate Preparation Guide – By Dr. Kalpesh Prajapat

Posted on 28/08/2018 | by Marcus | Leave a Comment

Dental Associate Interviews: An Ultimate Preparation Guide: Written with experienced dental practice owners and dental associates.

“Dental Associate Interviews: An Ultimate Preparation Guide: Written with experienced dental practice owners and dental associates” is a brand new, innovative book compiled by Dr. Kalpesh Prajapat with a foreward by Dr. Dhru Shah.

A factual and up-to-date resource for associate dentists.

This brilliant book is written for associate dentists, by practice owners and experienced associates. This means that you get the inside scoop on what practice-life is like, putting you one step ahead of the game. But this is much more than just a book.

It’s full of handy resources that would benefit any dental professional, including:

Useful tips for CV writing, job applications, and cover letters
Free downloadable templates to help you build a dental portfolio, to allow you to show your work
Real interview questions, that you may be asked in an interview scenario
Tips on interview technique – how to really stand out from the crowd
Questions that you should ask in your interview, to make sure the practice is right for you
Advice on what to look for in a well-led practice
Tips on understanding your dental associate contract- what does it all really mean?

A great book for all dental professionals.

This book is a great addition for any new dentist. It would also be a useful resource for all dental professionals. So whether you’re completely new to the industry or have been practicing for many years, this book makes for an interesting read. Are you looking to take the next step in their career, enhance your CV and portfolio? Maybe you’re looking to improve interview and application techniques. If so, this book is for you.

It’s a great all-rounder for anyone looking to have a successful career in dentistry!

Where can you get your hands on a copy?

“Dental Associate Interviews: An Ultimate Preparation Guide” is available directly from Amazon. It is a digital download, making it perfect for those of you with a Kindle, or who have the Amazon Kindle app on your smartphone or tablet. Great for on the go and handy to reference at any time!

This book will be available as a paperback in the near future – keep an eye out for that!

You can purchase your copy at an introductory price of just £5.49 by clicking here.

Want a preview of the book? Look no further:

motivation at work, motivation, motivated, motivation boosters at work

Top Three Motivation Boosters At Work

Posted on 20/08/2018 | by Marcus | Leave a Comment

Ever feel like you’re dragging your heels at work?

Lack of motivation can make a job a lot tougher, even if it is a job you like. Everyone has bad days. But if you’re dreading heading in to work because you’re unmotivated, the bad days become more frequent than you’d like.

Today on the blog, we’re talking about the top three motivation boosters that can help you feel more positive in the workplace and help you get the work done.

Listening To Music Can Boost Motivation at Work

Music helps you to focus and keep you motivated. Whether Beyoncé is your jam or you prefer a bit of radio 2, music helps to keep your mind concentrating on the task at hand. Focusing on your favourite song can help you power through a boring, mundane task. Why not have your favourite radio station on in the background while trying to get your tasks completed? Time will fly by when you have a distraction in the background.

Really struggling to stay motivated? Many studies have shown that classical music can help your brain focus, even in times of high pressure or stress. So why not check out Beethoven, Bach or Mozart? We know it might not be your usual listening, but try it for yourself and see. You might just end up having some classical tunes in your recommendations on Spotify!

Does anyone fancy a night out?

It can be really hard to stay motivated if you and your team are working week in week out. ‘Does anyone fancy a night out?!’ can change the mood of an entire room. It doesn’t have to be a formal, organised night out such as the office Christmas party. A few drinks on a Friday straight from work can really lift the mood of the team. It gives you something to talk about in the office the following week and gives everyone a bit of motivation. It’s something to look forward too! Think of a night out as a well done for all of your hard work and a chance to let your hair down a bit!

Break things down and make them achievable.

We become unmotivated because we feel overwhelmed by tasks. We look at our to-do lists and think ‘wow, there’s no way I’ll be able to get that finished’. We’ve all been there. It is a good idea to spend time breaking down the bigger tasks. In doing so, you’ll be able to prioritise tasks and manage your time effectively. Things often seem more achievable when we take time to cut them up into smaller, more manageable chunks. Stop putting off your big tasks, and see how much you can achieve when you take them step by step! When you feel like you’re able to achieve something, you’re going to be more motivated to actually attempt the task at hand. If you go in with a mindset of failure or ‘it’s too difficult’ it’s no wonder your feel unmotivated!

Do you have any tips for boosting motivation at work? What are they? We’d love to hear them! Let us know in the comments or why not contact us on social media to let us know!

bossy, boss, my boss is a bully, bullying at work, overworked.

Is Your Boss Getting Too Bossy? Here’s What You Can Do About It.

Posted on 13/08/2018 | by Marcus | Leave a Comment

Is your boss getting too big for their boots?

If you’ve ever been consistently bossed around and pressured by a boss or colleague, you know that the psychological and emotional damage can often be challenging to overcome. Today on the Blue Glove Jobs blog, we’re looking at how to tell if your boss is becoming too bossy. We’re also talking about what you can do about it.

There is a difference between being the the boss and being downright bossy.

That’s one thing to remember. Being in charge and bossing people around to the point where they feel uncomfortable are two very different things.

Sadly and more often than not, many employers who are in a position of power, let their job title run away with them. They let the title of ‘director’ or ‘manager’ go to their head. Unfortunately, this can lead to them going off on a power trip, and not realising how it can negatively affect other members of staff.

Being in charge means that you are responsible for either a part of, or all of the business, it’s staff and it’s actions.

If you are bossy, it means than you are probably running around demanding instead of delegating and expecting instead of encouraging. Being too bossy towards staff can often make staff members feel as though they are being bullied.

How can I tell if my boss is bossing me around?

There are a few key things to look out for:

They always expect things to be completed quickly, even things that take a lot of time.
They are always adding things to your to-do list without communicating with you first to determine your existing workload.
You are expected to complete tasks that you do not know how to complete.
Your boss does not speak to you with respect – often talks at you or down to you.
Your work is not appreciated, no matter how much effort you put in.
You and your colleagues feel like your boss is unapproachable.
You feel pressured to stick around after hours to make sure all tasks are completed.

What can I do if I feel like my boss is bossing me around?

If this is occurring on a regular basis, it will become a problem. In this instance, it can be hard to approach your boss about their behaviour and this can be even more challenging if there is nobody above them. It is easy to think it might be easier to cut your losses and leave. This can also be hard in a future job interview to explain why you left a job because of these circumstances.

It might be an idea to collectively approach the subject. Speak to a few other staff members. Ask if any of them are willing to approach the situation with you.

If you feel uncomfortable doing this, or have done this, it might be an idea to get a trade union involved.

A trade union is an organisation with members who are usually workers or employees. It looks after their interests at work by doing things like negotiating agreements with employers and settling disputes.

Often, a trade union rep can act as a mediator between the employees and the employer. If you want more information about Trade Unions, and how to join one, check out the UNISON website.