In a national survey, one out of every seven employees gave the same reason for hating the boss.

The reason: The boss is “abusive.” And what may matter most here is not whether many bosses are cruel or petty, but that many workers see their bosses that way.

A study reported in LiveScience notes that about 14% of workers say their bosses engage in abuse, including:

• insulting employees
• humiliating employees in front of other, and
• isolating employees from co-workers.

There are documented health and performance effects from working for an abusive boss, but the worst direct workplace effect is that most employees cope with the problem simply by avoiding contact with the boss.

That’s fine if a boss wants no feedback or input from workers. But it’s a disaster for anyone who believes that teamwork and sharing ideas are keys to a high-performance business.