Do you love your job – looking forward to getting to work every day so that you can feel productive and appreciated? Or, do you feel that your job is a place you have to go – and you don’t feel that you can show your true strengths, not to mention ever feel appreciated?

Many people are simply going to work in order to get a paycheck – it would be wonderful if your job was a great place to be, but the truth is, for many people, it isn’t a place where they feel valued or where they can look forward to going. Sometimes, if you are lucky, you will have a few people at your job that you enjoy being around, and who you can build relationships with, but most likely, your boss isn’t one of those people.

Sometimes, even though it may be the hardest thing you have ever done – (you would rather watch your boss fall off a 30 story building) – you might have to take the steps towards building some kind of relationship that will help you to deal with your job easier. Find ways to relate to them, maybe even find a common bond. Ask them about their families, their hobbies - even what they feel is in store for your company or what they like about working with them. Showing a genuine interest in what they are doing, and in things that are happening in their lives, will help them to possibly see you on more level ground.

If you are able to show some interest in your boss’s life, you might be surprised how they end up reacting. Everyone wants to feel that people are interested in their lives, and your boss is no different. And, it is worth a try in order to make your job more tolerable, and it might even get your boss to get off your back if they seem intent on harassing you.

Of course, that isn’t always going to work, so you still need to research and understand your legal rights, especially if it has got to the point that you are working in a hostile workplace environment. When it has got to the point that no matter what you do or say, your boss will never show you the respect that an employee deserves from their boss, then obviously no amount of relationship building will work. Some people just feel that they are “above” others, and they enjoy making others feel inferior.

In most cases, this will have nothing to do with you, so don’t take it personally. But, be prepared to know your rights when it crosses the line into, what you believe, is workplace harassment. Every employee has rights that they need to understand, especially if they feel their jobs are in jeopardy. No one needs to suffer through that – and you won’t be doing yourself any favors by allowing it to continue.

Emilee has worked in a hostile workplace environment, and feels that it is very important for everyone to have effective coping strategies - and to understand their legal rights. She offers a review of a guide that outlines employee rights, and regulations which are in place to protect them, which you can read by going to HostileWorkplaceEnvironment.com