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While very inappropriate on his part as both a colleague and someone in a management position, I would try to give him benefit of the doubt and chalk it up to him having a really crappy day? I'd give him a few days to mull it over himself and see if he comes with an apology, which it seems to me most sensible people would do after they have cooled down. Unless he's a total idiot then he probably knows he was very in the wrong. If after a few days and some contact there is no apology forthcoming, or no mention of the situation, then I'd bring it up and say you felt it was both uncalled for and inappropriate in the situation.

ETA: since it's a really small company, I'd give it until Monday and then speak up. And I'm also extremely non-confrontational so that plays into my advice. I probably wouldn't even say anything if it happened to me...which definitely isn't the right course of action unless you're excellent at letting things roll off your back (I'm not).

So, something similar happened to me today. I was five minutes late to a meeting this afternoon because my lunch ran over and I got yelled at because the person wasn't able to eat lunch today (there is a lot of animosity because my department is out a lot during the day for events and that department is understaffed and unable to leave for lunch). I apologized to both of the heads of the meeting, and after being yelled at, I wrote both an apology card. Currently debating whether or not I need to include a bag of candy for each of them.

One of my male colleagues years ago handled being yelled at really well at IMO. He didn’t report to the person, but she was put in a position where she had authority over him/ us. The scenario was she basically was sharing an idea and her opinion/ solution and wasn’t really looking for feedback. I read her initial sharing/ soapbox well and just listened. However, when he asked clarifying questions or offered a different take her volume and tone escalated. She was belittling. It was embarrassing since this all happened in a public place too. Anyway, after things calmed a bit, he told her that speaking to him like that was simply unacceptable and gave some good succinct reasons. I have to say that set the tone for more respectful interactions between the two for years.

Anyway, you have to work with this person and in a hostile environment it’s hard to get your work done. I’d take the next opportunity you have with him face to face to tell him the yelling was not okay.

I had a boss who did this. But challenging him on that would have helped no one. If it's the beginning of a trend I'd say something, if he's never or always like this, I'd let it go. But I am not really sensitive to this kind of yelling. And it probably depends on your field too.

This happened to me recently. It wasn’t my boss, but someone I work with remotely on the other side of the country. He made the mistake of forwarding his work phone to his cell during while handling stressful personal issues like a move, delayed construction on his new house, and a divorce and I happened to call him exactly at the worst of it. Once I realized what was going on I quickly made an excuse to get off the phone and later that night he emailed me an apology. I immediately forgave him and haven’t mentioned it since. But honestly this is a perfect example of why working from home sometimes is a bad idea when you really need to be on PTO. It irks me a bit because I doubt he would have unleashed on a man, but I try not to think about it and just move on and do my job. Our working relationship is great now and I can tell he’s still a bit embarrassed but I’m more careful about keeping my distance now that I know he’s capable of this.

@Portboston: I've been binge reading the "Ask a Manager" advice column lately (non stop nursing, hah), so my thoughts may be colored by that. I guess my first question is- how much do you need the job? If you *NEED* it, then that's one thing, but since you mentioned you wanted to quit on the spot, it makes me think maybe you don't. If that's the case, you have a lot more power. Regardless, I'm with you- it's one thing to get frustrated with a subordinate/colleague and vent, it's another thing to be completely unreasonable and yell, and curse. I have a terribe poker face and a terrible temper (I'm working on it) and while I've done some things at work I'm not proud of (venting frustration, poor tone, etc) I have NEVER yelled, NEVER, sworn, and NEVER yelled at someone trying to help me, especially when they didn't create the issue! I find that 100% unacceptable, and would not let that pass without comment. It's not unreasonable to give it some time to let you both cool down, but I would broach it if he doesn't and say "I wanted to talk to you about what happened the other day. The way you spoke/yelled at me was completely unacceptable. It's fine to be frustrated at a situation, but taking your frustration out on me is not something I can allow moving forward. Is that something you can commit to ensuring will not happen again?" If he says no, yells at you again, or is not completely apologetic, I'd either tender my resignation immediately, or begin looking for PT work elsewhere and quit as soon as you find something else. I don't think it's unreasonable to expect ot be treated with respect in all professional circumstances- his response wouldn't have been acceptable even if the issue was 100% your fault, and is even more insane considering it was 0% your fault!

@MrsSCB: @Portboston: I haven’t been yelled at, but I have had inappropriate comments made to me by a former female boss and been belittled and I ultimately quit that job after working there for 1.5 years. It was a good decision for me.

That is so not okay and I hope he comes up with an apology himself next week once things have calmed down. If this is a one-off thing, I'm super non-confrontational so I probably wouldn't say anything...

I have been thinking about this a lot. I think you should address it- my reasoning is, he wasn't yelling at you for a failure to do your responsibilities correctly (which is another issue) but was lashing out which is completely inappropriate. With everything going on in the world, I think this should be called out, not in a hostile way, but it shouldn't be on YOU to let it go. I have been mentally recalling a lot of instances like this in my twenties with (older, male bosses) and things that were not really 100% appropriate (it's not always SEXUAL harassment) that probably wouldn't have occurred if I were a young man.
So, while I am the first person to say confrontation is the worst, I would give the boss a set amount of time to bring it up himself and if not, then follow what @808love said. Don't get emotional, and don't you be apologetic- you need to make it clear you are fine but need him to realize he was out of line. If he doesn't then maybe it's time to move on.

@Portboston: this is random, but....I work in a mostly female environment (k-12 education) and I have had bosses who yelled a lot, and they were universally reviled. I have never had a male boss who yelled at female teachers (thank goodness), and I'm pretty sure it's because women (usually?) don't really respond to that kind of work environment.

My husband, on the other hand, works in finance--and it's male dominated--and there is constant yelling. Just...constant. He's had a few work-from-home days when he was sick and I overheard a work call and he'll be getting calls from traders who are SCREAMING that something isn't working, or they aren't able to make a trade. expletives abound. These are people that can be dealing with literally millions of dollars--so stress levels all around are high.

But I've often remarked that you just wouldn't see that type of behavior with an all female staff--not with that frequency.

I know females are supposed to be the "emotional ones", but it seems like men are equally emotional, but it comes out like pure anger.

In any case, it's unacceptable. I think telling him that is fine. Good luck!

@Anagram: everyone disliked my female boss and several people quit or were fired within the span of a few months, all female workplace On two occasions she gestured with her hands and said “or I’ll wring your neck” about something that I was not responsible for at all and even if I was it still would have been wildly inappropriate.

@Anagram: at least she got what she deserved. There just isn’t a reason to treat people like dirt. Mine was boss and company owner sadly. I don’t think there was any employee that liked or respected her though.

@Portboston: Have you done/said anything yet?

@Portboston: I would tell him at the earliest opportunity that the way he spoke to you was not ok. It took a few years at different jobs for me tlo realize that if people think they can gey away with certain behavior they will keep repeating it but usually if you call someone out on it the first time that will often prevent it from happening again.