“Do you have an allergy to your boss?”

Food intolerance is a new fad. All sorts of experts seem to be able to trace a person’s allergies to various foods to a wide variety of psychological and medical problems. But what about “boss intolerance” — an allergic reaction to a particular type of boss? The symptoms include a drop in morale and productivity, many days off sick, being ratty and depressed — and making bad decisions.

So what types of bosses cause allergic reactions and, more specifically, what are the “ingredients” that can cause your whole being to scream? Here’s a short list:

Macho bullies. They have a need for power and to see little people squirm.

Artful dodgers. They are not there for their employees or their company, but for themselves. They are super delegators, who may be immobilized by self-doubt or conflict. Or they may just be lazy sods.

Control freaks. They may need to hold on to power — or they are paranoid or perfectionists. What they have in common is the fear of uncertainty and a lack of trust.

Unscrupulous bastards. They are skunks, schemers and crooks.

Tiger tanks. These are aggressive, ruthlesstaskmasters.

Snipers. They find weaknesses in others, sabotaging them in public with their words and knifing them in the back.

Know-it-alls. They exaggerate, brag, mislead and do not listen.

Bombs waiting to explode. They cannot manage anger, so they frequently and uncontrollably blow their tops. Anyone within their range may be a target.

Yes-people. They commit to everything, but only to please others. They may seem helpful and cooperative but are totally ineffective.

Naysayers.They think that everything is getting worse, all the time. They whine, and are negative and life-sapping.

There are also, of course, people who are allergic to all bosses. These are people who have problems with authority, who simply don’t like to work for others or who just like to blame their bosses for everything.

So what is the solution to boss intolerance? Let’s think about food. Some substances are toxic for everyone. And many types of food are bad for you if taken in large amounts. Also, some people react badly to specific ingredients.

Perhaps boss intolerance is a bit like that — a sort of misfit between the personality, values and work style of two people. The way to deal with food intolerance is to avoid certain types of food. The same may be true of boss intolerance.