Q: My boss is rude and cruel. She makes fun of people, then laughs at her own "cute" remarks.

She loves to catch mistakes and publicly reprimand employees. When she wants to correct someone, she yells across the office.

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MARIE G.McINTYRE

YOUR OFFICE COACH

If you need help, she makes you feel stupid just for asking a question.

This woman is despised by everyone. Although she knows her job, she has no idea how to relate to people. But she's been here for 30 years and isn't going anywhere.

I try to keep my distance and disappear if I see her coming. But I'm still suffering from stress and depression because of this situation. Please help.

A: Life is much too short to be stressed and depressed every day. Unless your nasty boss plans to retire soon, you need to get out of there.

By putting up with this tyrant for three decades, management is tacitly endorsing her abusive style. So start looking for a more professional workplace.

Begin with some initial job-search steps. Update your résumé, make networking contacts and join a professional association. Focusing on the future will remind you that your predicament is only temporary.

While you're there, try not to take the abuse personally. Because your evil boss treats everyone badly, her critical commentary says more about her than about you.

Q: After two years with this company, I love my job, my co-workers and the relaxed environment. But the pay is low, and employees never get raises. We receive quarterly bonuses for meeting goals but no salary increases.

Our CEO says "we couldn't do it without you" but makes no effort to reward employees. However, he spends company money for his personal commute to New York.

We've been told that, if funds are available at the end of the year, we might get raises. If not, we're out of luck. This is hard to take, because we see a lot of waste and many bad management decisions.

I've thought about leaving, but this job provides great experience in a profession that I love. On the other hand, my husband and I are barely scraping by. Any advice?

A: Did you know about this pay structure when you accepted the job? If not, make a mental note to ask more questions about compensation during your next job search.

Salary levels are determined largely by supply and demand. In some desirable occupations, entry-level employees will accept low pay just to get in the door, creating a buyer's market for employers.

Unless management has trouble recruiting or retaining people, the pay system is unlikely to change. So you need to view this job as a steppingstone.

Before long, your experience with this miserly employer will qualify you for better positions elsewhere. If you have exceptional ability, eventually your earnings will match your talents.

Meanwhile, as you clip coupons and forgo vacations, be thankful every day that you love your work, your colleagues and the company culture. Many better-paid people would trade places with you.

- Marie G. McIntyre is an Atlanta-based workplace coach. Her weekly column is syndicated by Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service. Send questions at www.yourofficecoach.com.