What to do when you are being squeezed out at work?

In this blog, we will answer the question, what to do when you are being squeezed out at work? And suggest ways how to gain confidence and take your due worth back.

What to do when you are being squeezed out at work?

Here are some things you can do when you are being squeezed out at work:

• Have a heart to heart with your boss 
• Start looking for another job. 
• Don’t place blame on yourself
• Try to enjoy time away from work some more
• Try to think of what else you want to do
• Tell yourself that this is temporary

When you are being squeezed out at work, it means either you have a heart to heart with your boss or you start looking for another job. There are times when the supervisor/s start putting pressure on the employee, in one way or another.

There can be isolated events indicating that the boss may not be happy or does not want you to continue, or there could be a pattern there showing that the situation is bad and might end up in the employee looking elsewhere for work.

Indicators of the ‘My Boss Wants me to Quit.’

• The boss does not appreciate the work you are doing
• Challenging and interesting assignments are not cascaded towards you.
• Company and colleagues make plans without including you
• You are not included in meetings and seminars
• No more professional development workshops are you enrolled in
• You are reporting to superiors all too often
• You are mostly cornered
• Your benefits are removed
• You are redesignated to a lower job title
• The boss tries to evade you

When these signs are present then it means that your expertise is no more appreciated or required. This is pretty common in workplaces and the employee should be ready for any such situation. 

Reasons of being squeezed out at work

Bosses may act weird when they are trying to squeeze out an employee from work. There are plenty of reasons and each maybe unique to a workplace.

1. The boss may feel threatened by you or your expertise in a certain matter
2. Colleagues could not build a working relation with him, either due to different working styles
3. The bosses think that the employee are not loyal to them
4. The boss may also feel or think that the employee is letting him down in the organization

Tacts of countering the squeezing out

If you experience the squeeze out at work, then there is nothing to be alarmed about. Instead of getting down in the doldrums, you should lift yourself up and start looking around for another start.

You should look around for new jobs and careers that match your professional qualifications or even interest you. This might also be a chance for you to do something you had always wanted to do and couldn’t because of the burden of the monotony of a 9 to 5.

interested in your interests

Get your interests and passions lined up again, this may be a chance for you to pursue a career path you had always wanted, but never got around to it. So, this is the chance you thought you would never get!

There are times, and mostly it happens to the best of us that we are in jobs that initially we had never thought to take up, this is one of the biggest reasons for the problems one might face at work. We all have innate interests and the work we indulge in should compliment these interests. When one likes what he does, the success rate takes a positive correlation with it.

Then a difficult boss or an easy one, jealous colleagues or the compliant ones, you would know nothing else, but what you are good at, and enjoying it too.

You would feel proud of each and every milestone you accomplish. Why? Because you have taken ownership of your work. 

If we are not fond of what we are working towards, we might not be able to take charge of it and this in turn mars our performance. And if we cherish our daily work, meeting challenges with a fervor and making something out of nothing, then we are building a life we can later be proud of. Therefore, a grouchy boss might finally prove to be a blessing in disguise for you!

Be sure to thank him/her later.

No game is a blame game

If you are giving your best shot and still your supervisor does not support you, it is not your problem. Stop blaming yourself and restart to alter the self blame cycle. If a negative comment from your superiors or colleagues comes your way think of it as, “I have done my bit, if they do not like it it is their problem.”

Giving your best shot to an assigned task should make you feel great about yourself. Result will be you will feel elated anyways, ready tpo keep on tackling challenges and completing them in your unique way. 

THE ALTERED BLAME CYCLE

NEGATIVE EVENT   →    IT IS NOT MY FAULT    ⟶   ELATION & CONTENTED

The attitude of others is their problem, not yours. You cannot change the way people act or react, all you can do is be you, work hard and make yourself proud. You can also list down what you have gained or learnt for the current job as well as changes you found in yourself since you have been employed. 

All work and no play..

The monotony of a workplace makes us lose our productivity and we can easily be a victim of the squeezing out at work dilemma. Get your running shoes, or put together a picnic basket, just unwind yourself and recharge your work batteries. Taking a vacation once in a while, or even giving time to a favourite hobby weekly can get the best out of you and keep you in the office grindstone.

Seal the Dream Deal

You have always dreamed of a certain place of work environment, get it in your deal once you go for an interview. Do not exclude what you want. When you take up a new job, make sure to mention your dream work environment in the deal breaking. This is important if you want to end up happy and productive. 

If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door

Being squeezed out at work has given you a chance to take charge of your situation and do something you might not have been able to do before; like requesting a tete a tete with your boss. Request a meeting with him to discuss your squeezing out. Maybe it is something you felt and does not exist. Or maybe the boss would unravel as to why this situation has arisen. 

This again might provide you a chance to review your performance or a chance to go down another job lane. It is better to create opportunities for self rather than wait for it to come knock at your door. 

Instead of being stagnant in a place that proves toxic to you, better that you start positively afresh elsewhere. If the boss wants you to quit it is better to be with people who appreciate and respect your talent and input.

Don’t duck under pressure

When you are being squeezed out at work it means you are under immense pressure either to leave or wait on a ticking time bomb to be fired. That is a lot to handle!

But be wary that pressure tends the mind to waver towards taking a wrong decision most of the time.

It is better to view your situation objectively as a third person and analyze what is actually happening with you, what is it that irks your boss. This will give an insight into the workplace psychology, how minds of supervisors and colleagues are functioning about or against you. 

Do not give in to pressure, but square your shoulders and face everyone, especially your demons that are scaring you into a crouching position rather than attacking on. Feel excited that you will be getting a chance to start afresh. 

Here are some signs that show you’re being ducked under pressure and what you can do about it

You’ve been Reassigned

It’s a good thing if your manager shifts you on a project, you asked for. But it’s different when you’re forced to be in a team that looks like a dead end for your career in that specific company. 

Some people don’t want to do anything all day and watch netflix. But boredom is inevitable. In circumstances like these, it’s better to speak up. If your supervisor seems unconcerned, then you need to find a new job. 

There’s Blatant Favouritism

Your team is working on a project in which you’re the expert. If your supervisor suddenly brings someone from another team or division to work on that project, although you voiced your interest in making the project, it shows that you are not valued.  

You’re not given Raises or Your Pay is Low for Your Position

The Dice Salary Calculator is a way to see how much is your potential worth in the open market. If your salary is below that or no raises are given in the near future. It means you are not valued and your employer wants you to leave.

Nobody Cares About Your Goals

Most companies have a “check in” system that sees and gives out individual goals to employees on the basis of their work divisions. If you’re going through these regular evaluations but the management isn’t making an effort to ensure these goals are met. It’s a bad sign. You can’t work in a place that doesn’t fulfill your professional target.

Inexplicably Poor Performance Reviews

Similarly, if you’re meeting all your goals and completing your work on time. Yet you’re getting poor remarks on performance reviews for some unknown reason. It means your management wants you gone. 

What To Do About Being Pushed out of work?

If your company wants to push you out, the clear and only solution is to Leave. The advantage of your supervisor not caring about what you do, gives you the leverage to search for new oppurtunities. Before sending any forms, make sure your head is in the right direction and your final change is smooth. 

Record Everything

If your supervisor wrote you an insulting email or you have written evidence that the performance reviews were twisted against you, save these materials as they might come in handy.

Have a Sounding Board

Most of the time, your instinct about you being pushed out is correct. In this case, you should explain your situation to a third party, like a relative or a former manager, who can give you advice on what to do next and tell if your instinct is correct or not. 

Consider a Lawyer

If the effort to push you out of the company is mixed with discrimination, for e.g. your boss telling everyone you’re “too old” to work there, it’s better to consult a lawyer with a history of pursuing discrimination cases. They’ll guide you in the right direction. 

List Your Accomplishments

Even if your time in that company was filled with misery and stress, you still managed to accomplish something in your time there. Before assembling your materials to apply for a new job, make a list of all of your accomplishments. You can use these to validate your skills and talents to potential employers.

Do not forget you will always be valuable; one way or another. 

Also, you can set SMART goals for yourself in order to improve your position at office.

In this blog, we have answered the question, what to do when you are being squeezed out at work? And suggested ways how to gain confidence and take your due worth back.

FAQs

 

Titles to Read

• No Hard Feelings: The Secret Power of Embracing Emotions at Work by Liz Fosslien and Mollie West Duffy 
• Managing Stress in the Workplace: How To Get Rid Of Stress At Work And Live A Longer Life ((Stress Management) How to deal with office stress) (Volume 1) by Joe Martin
• Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers, Third Edition by Robert Sapolsky
• Work Stronger: Habits for More Energy, Less Stress, and Higher Performance at Work by Pete Leibman, Tom Parks, et al.

Citations

• https://hbr.org/2018/12/what-to-do-if-you-think-your-boss-is-shutting-you-out
• https://www.topresume.com/career-advice/what-to-do-if-your-boss-is-making-your-life-miserable
• https://www.comptia.org/career-change/plan/how-to/hate-your-boss
• https://outofyourrut.com/7-ways-tell-youre-being-targeted-work/