Volunteer boards and employees

Question

I work for a non-profit in MA which is run by a volunteer board. I report to the Manager in the office and work part-time, remotely most of the time. Board leadership is psychologically abusive, demeaning, and unapproachable. They have a history of abuse and no one stays long. They break employment law and claim they are not a 'professional' company as if that exempts them from law. They require I follow chain of command but they don't. I prefer to only deal with my immediate supervisor but receive last minute demands for reports from the board president. Is there anything to be done short of leaving? Thank you in advance.

Kat · Answer

Have you discussed these issues with your supervisor? Is your supervisor aware of these last minute demands on your time? If they are aware but aren't willing to act as a buffer between you and the board, you should reconsider staying in this position.  Have you documented the illegal/unethical things the board has been doing? If so, talk to an employment lawyer to see if you have a case. A lawsuit (or even the threat of one) would be bad for their image. The board sounds like they need a major wake up call and/or restructuring. People need to be aware of what this board is doing. Think about why you feel the need to stay in a toxic environment like this. It might not be easy at first, but look at other options. There are plenty of other jobs out there where you aren't being abused and treated badly by your superiors. Even if you support the non-profit's mission, it's not worth it when you have to deal with such a toxic environment to do your job.

Volunteer boards and employees

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