In a country where about 90 percent of the population is in the agriculture sector and the rest of us are in services, Rwanda’s employers are riding high on the unemployed majority.

In today’s workplace bosses tend to go extremes to meet their targets. Most jobs become bargaining platforms to coerce people into preforming to a given standard.

And sometimes matters are made worse when some of our not so professional employers remind you how lucky you are to have that job.

Did you ever stop to consider why a person can ask for a divorce on the grounds of mental cruelty and that is acceptable? But an employer can abuse you in a number of ways and they never have to answer for it.

Now I am not talking about reasonable demands that any employer should expect from you. Reasonable to me as being something that is within the norm for your occupation and position and can be accomplished when provided with the correct time, resources and understanding and that you have the necessary skills to accomplish the task.

My concern is expectations that even the bosses know can’t be accomplished. These include unrealistic deadlines, timelines, a lack of resources and unrealistic output expectations.

Now keep in mind we are not talking about hard work, long hours and the fruits of your labor. We are talking about being forced to work where the goal is unrealistic.

We are talking about your supervisor holding work from you so that you will not meet the deadlines. Harrassing you when you come in late or even conniving with other employees to cause anomosity against you. So sadly, and in my opinion and through my experience that is the state of affairs exists in many work places today.

Employers get away with it under the title of "productivity” and being competitive and they are supported by laws which are not worker friendly.

You can suffer from emotional and even physical duress as a result a poor working environment but that is not grounds to receive compensation for damages caused.

If you don’t like it you have a right to leave, but try walking out on an employer and find out where that gets you in your future. Yet, employers can fire you at an instant and you have no recourse anywhere.

Unfortunately nearly all laws do not take into account verbal or mental workplace conflict so you have got to learn how to handle bullies by yourself. Abuse has nothing to do with reason, so don’t fool yourself that you can change an abuser by reasoning with him.

However, one wonders when a person in need of an income would say anything that would place his or her job on the line. Yes you can. I did so.  At times the easiest and best thing to do is change jobs.

If you have good, rational reasons for staying then try to solve issues that arise. Keep in mind that mental abuse is a vicious mind game, and if you dont want to leave the field then you have to play the game.

You are a winner if the abuse stops and you are no longer a victim, meaning that you are still a winner even when you quit.
There is no doubt the boss controls your job. He gets to make the rules.

But he can only control a game as long as you do and react the way he expects you to but you can throw him off his game if you become unpredictable.

I suspect we who are part of the working class should start to take a hard look at why workers Unions were formed in the first place. You can bet that it was to stop the exploitation of workers.

Ends