7 Things a Boss Should Never Ask of Their Employees

The Employer and Employee Relationship

The relationship between an employer and employee can be a complicated one and although there is a clear understanding of who is in charge there are always going to be limits as to what a boss can or cannot ask someone who works for them to do.

Cross that line in the wrong way and a boss may well be seeking quality legal representation if it is believed that they have gone too far in exerting their power and authority in an unacceptable way.

Here is a look at some examples of when it could be considered that an employer has clearly exceeded their authority and overstepped the mark.

7 examples that overstep the employer and employee relationship:

Applying undue pressure

A prime example of when a boss is trying to push the boundaries of the employee relationship too far would be when they attempt to exert undue pressure to do something with the threat of consequences if they don’t comply.

This can range from implying that their job prospects will be harmed if they don’t work extra hours or do tasks that are not in their job description, through to extreme examples where the suggestion of sex or inappropriate intimacy is used to coerce an employee.

There are clear boundaries from a moral and legal perspective that need to be respected on both sides of the employer and employee relationship.

Do as I say

It is understood that an employer pays the salaries and is in charge, to a certain extent, but a boss can’t tell a worker to do as they say just because they hold the upper hand.

There should never be threats that abuse that relationship.

Cancel your vacation

Every worker is entitled to a break and a boss should never ask an employee to cancel their plans because they are needed in the office or there are staff shortages.

Take the blame

Whatever happened to collective responsibility?

A boss should never even think about suggesting that an employee should take full responsibility for something that has gone wrong. A good employer will understand that things can go wrong and maybe they should look at themselves before blaming others.

Cover up a problem

Asking a worker to lie about a situation or falsify the facts or documentation is a big red flag when it comes to an employer crossing the line.

An employee should never be asked to lie or be put in a position where they are unfairly compromised.

Get too personal

As outlined earlier, there are clear boundaries in the employer and employee relationship when it comes to things such as physical or intimate contact.

In addition, a boss should never expect an employee to reveal too much personal information and it is not right to exert pressure to get them to do this.

Deny them a life outside of work

A bad boss would probably think nothing of asking an employee to cancel their personal plans to help the business. They may well have the attitude that they don’t really care about that person’s home life and it is of no interest.

A boss should never ask an employee to put their work ahead of anything else in their life.

Boundaries are needed for the relationship to work.

These are just a few examples of how lines can be crossed in the implied employer and employee relationship.

Every time that happens there are likely to be consequences and that is why it pays to understand the boundaries at all times.