Bad bosses make workers sick and unproductive

A new study has suggested that workers are unhappy at work mainly because of their horrible bosses which makes them unhealthy and less productive.

The research by Ohio State University in the US revealed that horrible bosses affect the health of their employees, News24 reported.

The study showed that chronic work-related stress changes gene activity in immune cells before they reach the bloodstream, which leads to severe inflammation, which is linked to health problems including heart disease, obesity and dementia.

Dr Ralph Evans, an industrial psychology consultant based in Pretoria, said that based on his experience working for industrial or corporate companies, working for a horrible boss who is always screaming or pulling rank for no valid reason has a detrimental effect on employees' physical and mental health.

He said that if a boss is always shouting at his employees the minute they set foot inside the office, morale goes and they prepare for a fight, and during that preparation their immune system prepares for a fight as well, not knowing that the fight is not physical.

The study is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.