"Workplace bullying is obviously unpleasant for the target, but also creates a toxic working environment for all involved," Abigail Philips, a Ph.D. student at Manchester School of Business and the study's lead author, says in a statement. Philips adds, "In short, bad bosses, those high in psychopathy and narcissism, have unhappy and dissatisfied employees who seek to 'get their own back' on the company."

Another study, this one from Binghamton University, classified bad bosses in two categories: dark or dysfunctional. Dysfunctional bosses are just that — dysfunctional — and aren't good at their jobs, but dark bosses like to hurt people and take pleasure in terrorizing employees. They lack empathy, engage in bullying and are only worried about their climb to the top — no matter who might get in the way.

And that takes its toll on workers.

The Huffington Post report says employees stuck with bad bosses are also at greater risk for anxiety, chronic stress, high blood pressure, sleep problems, substance abuse issues, heart attacks, overeating and other health problems.

And if a boss micromanages, whether he's dark or just dysfunctional, he puts employees at greater risk of premature death by depriving them of any sense of control over their work. And since employees don't perform well when under close scrutiny, that's only going to make the boss angry.

So what should you do? According to another study published in Occupational & Environmental Medicine in 2009, it could mean your life.

A Washington Post article quoted Anna Nyberg, the lead author of the study and a researcher at the Stress Research Institute at Stockholm University, saying, "The longer you have worked at a workplace, the better or worse the situation becomes. So if you are working under a boss who stresses you in a destructive manner, and your possibilities or chances to change the situation are limited, you should try to change jobs as soon as possible."