How to deal with toxic bosses: New research says social media and flexible work can help

“How do you deal with a toxic boss?” is a question we’ve all had to ask at least once in our lives. No matter how hard we try to steer clear of these kinds of leaders, they always seem to pop up everywhere.

Whether it’s micromanaging, playing favourites, or creating a toxic work culture, dealing with a boss like this can be exhausting and demoralizing.

So, how do you deal with their behaviour?

While previous reports have shown that there are direct strategies for managing this type of behaviour—such as establishing boundaries, providing feedback, or reporting their harassment to higher-ups—a new study found that there are two ‘low-cost, high-impact remedies’ that can help with this problem: social media and flexible work arrangements.

This study, published in August 2024 in the academic journal Industrial Marketing Management, is based on a survey conducted with 237 business-to-business salespeople across multiple industries.

Social media as a distraction and outlet

Although cyberloafing—a term that refers to employees engaging in non-work-related activities like browsing social media or checking personal messages during work hours—is often seen negatively by most organizations, this study has demonstrated that it can actually serve a beneficial purpose.

The findings indicate that social media platforms such as Teams, Slack, and Instagram provide a refuge or distraction for employees experiencing immense pressure from a toxic supervisor. 

These platforms also give employees a space to connect and share their frustrations about the toxic work environment without dealing with formalities.

Flexible work options make employees feel more valued

The research also underscored the value of flexible work options, showing that employees with control over their schedules or work locations tend to feel more valued and experience less stress. 

Having the freedom to work when or where they’re most comfortable creates a sense of autonomy that can ease the emotional toll of dealing with a difficult boss.

Unsurprisingly, flexibility is catching on in many workplaces.

According to a McKinsey poll, about 58% of American workers can now access remote or hybrid roles. Additionally, 87% of employees say they would readily accept a job offer that includes remote work options.

Singapore is also not far behind because, as of December 2024, employees who have completed their probation can officially request flexible work arrangements (FWAs) from their employers.

The options open to employees include flexi-place (working from different locations like home), flexi-time (adjusting work hours), and flexi-load (reducing workloads with fair pay adjustments).

Read also: Can my boss legally reject my resignation and refuse to pay my salary because I couldn’t complete a task?

Featured image by Depositphotos (for illustration purposes only)