Quick background: for the past year I tried looking for new work because the job I had wasn’t paying much and felt unfulfilled. Like most people all I got from so many applications was silence or getting like 3 interviews for a job and ghosted. A position opened up in my company. I knew that my boss was a jerk and moving up meant working closer to him. I convinced myself that it was worth it for more money, less hours and the experience. Told myself I could stick it out for a couple years hoping the job market would get better.

Well the boss is more of a tool than I thought. The man seems almost “anti training”. He belittles his employees when they do something even slightly wrong yet ignored them when they do well. Talks down to us. And my least favorite he pushes you away when you ask for help but then looks down on you when you fail because of it.

Everyone in the office seems to know he is like this including those above him. It’s to the point that when he isn’t in the office physically people seem happier.

Within reason what advice can you offer? I can’t just quit in this economy and have no job since getting a new job feels impossible atm. I feel uneasy going to hr because knowing them I’d ask to be anonymous and they’d scream “so jack says you are a jerk? Oh you say you aren’t? Cool. I’ll leave you two alone now.”

Part of me wants to stick it out till the job market improves and leave. But of course I’ll need to explain to the interviewer in a friendly way “I want to leave because my boss is a jackass.” Part of me thinks I should go for it and tell hr or just go above his head.