Tips for Curing the 9-to-5 Blues

Problem Bosses: Who They Are and How to Deal With Them by Mardy Grothe and Peter Wylie Ph.D. (Facts on File Publications: $19.95).

Several years back, Mardy Grothe and Peter Wylie, who describe themselves as “pioneers in the field of business therapy,” wrote a book on problem employees. Perhaps, with their research freshly on file, they responded to the suggestion that they examine the other side of the coin. The result is an intelligent, how-to book with many examples that should help cure those 9-to-5 blues many working people suffer.

Complete with charts and exercises, this guide categorizes difficult employers and details ways to deal with them. Thus, whether you work for a Dr. Jekyll-Mr. Hyde, the head of a family business where nepotism is practiced or, maybe, for someone who is tyrannical, unjust, irrational or even emotionally unstable, there are recommended strategies: Confront your boss either face to face or accompanied by a co-worker witness. Go over his head (admittedly a risky proposition); if not satisfied with these measures, consult a lawyer or file a grievance through a union, your professional organization or the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.