As the nation celebrates bosses in the workplace Oct. 16, a survey of 816 administrative professionals revealed how much influence a boss has on his or her employees.

A bad boss can be the deciding factor when a good employee finally decides to quit, according to a survey conducted by the International Association of Administrative Professionals.

Of the 816 administrative professionals surveyed, 45 percent said having a bad boss would be the most important factor in a decision to leave their job, followed by 32 percent who said they’d leave if a better employment opportunity opened up elsewhere. Those surveyed indicated they wouldn’t quit their job because salary or benefits were lacking. Only 4 percent said they’d leave because of poor pay and 2 percent because of poor benefits.

That’s not surprising, according to Susan Fenner, PhD, education and professional development manager at IAAP. Fenner said the kind of boss you have can make or break a job.

“You spend more waking moments with your boss and co-workers than you do with your family,” she said. “The workplace is where you build your self-esteem as well as your career.”

In uncertain economic times, a bad boss can do more than simply drive good employees out the door. They also sap the energy of a business by robbing the company of effective leadership which can drive profits down.

“Having a good boss is not just a matter of worker satisfaction; it’s a matter of efficiently coping in uncertain times,” Fenner said.
 
 
IAAP, headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., is the world’s leading association for administrative professionals, with nearly 600 chapters and more than 40,000 members and affiliates worldwide. IAAP sponsors Administrative Professionals Week®, formerly called Professional Secretaries Week®, held the last full week in April and Administrative Professionals Day®, formerly called Professional Secretaries Day®, on Wednesday of APW. Further information about IAAP is available from the IAAP Web site, www.iaap-hq.org. Look for a redesigned Web site soon.

IAAP is not associated with National Boss Day