10 Examples of Negative Behavior in the Workplace And Tips for Dealing with It
8 min read
In an ideal world, every workplace would be populated with respectful individuals committed to working together in pursuit of common, shared goals. Unfortunately, we all know that this is anything but a perfect world. Far too many companies tolerate negative behaviors and attitudes, to the point where many employees just learn to take negativity in their stride, as if that’s the way it is. Do you recognize examples of negative behaviors at your place of work? Colleagues being rude, having nothing positive to say, or acting dishonestly? More importantly, would you know how to deal with bad behavior if you ever encountered it?
If the answer is no, then you have come to the right place. In this post, we will explore 10 of the most common examples of negative behaviors in the workplace. As a bonus, we will provide some useful tips that can help you deal with this unwelcome behavior when it does occur.
10 examples of negative behaviors in the workplace
Most people understand what are the major types of seriously bad behavior that can occur in the workplace. They include things like sexual harassment, physical or emotional bullying, and similar acts that have received tremendous public attention in recent years, as more and more workers feel confident enough to call out their abusers. These are all very serious behaviors that can have serious consequences.
In this article, we are going to cover more low-level negative behaviors that aren’t so major that they might bring about a lawsuit, but still need to be identified and addressed in an appropriate manner by going through the right channels.
Let’s take a look at the top 10.
1. A lack of dedication to meeting performance expectations
This negative behavior manifests itself in a variety of ways, including a noticeably poor work ethic, a lackadaisical attitude, and consistently poor performance. The latter is a common problem, according to many workplace managers, and can impact every aspect of business performance. One weak link in your team’s chain can quickly impact the entire company.
Expert Tip
Pro Tip: If you are a team leader, have a quiet word with the colleague by taking them aside and being honest about their performance in an informal way to start with. It might just be the kick up the proverbial that they need to pull their socks up and start performing well!
2. Resistance to feedback
It’s never nice to receive negative feedback, no matter how sugar-coated it is. But many of the more problematic employees would perform so much better if they weren’t resistant to constructive criticism. Typically, these employees usually don’t improve their skills or performance until they themselves change their attitude or outlook.
Expert Tip
Pro Tip: Try to show the colleague who is resistant to feedback that they shouldn’t take the criticism personally, and that it’s for the good of the company and the overall team effort. If you can help them change their mindset on this, it will be a win-win situation all round.
3. Poor or nonexistent teamwork skills
If you have never encountered someone who simply cannot function in a team setting, then count your lucky stars. The reality is that teamwork skills are not as common as they should be, and many companies struggle with employees who simply have no ability to be part of a functioning team.
Expert Tip
Pro Tip: Be aware that with WFH being more prevalent over the past few years due to the pandemic, that some workers will struggle working with a team again, so give them some space initially to work through this change.
4. Failure to respect authority or peers
The workplace can only operate at peak efficiency when everyone on your team understands how to treat others with respect, from the cleaner to the CEO, and everyone in between. Disrespectful colleagues can create a constant tension at every level of the company, and can even impact how customers perceive your business.
Expert Tip
Pro Tip: If you’re at senior management level, you can role model what it’s like to be in a position of authority by not being condescending, actively listening to subordinates, and showing them how you value their opinion. This sort of positive behavior should filter down through the rest of the company, by setting a good example to everyone.
5. Refusal to adapt to change
Given the rapid pace of innovation in the marketplace, employees need to be able to adapt to change if their company is to thrive against competitors. Unfortunately, many employees are either so reluctant--or unable--to change that they often impede their companies’ ability to quickly evolve and overcome new challenges.
Expert Tip
Pro Tip: If the change is about taking a new system on board, ensure all members of staff are fully trained up, and understand the new processes, otherwise they will lose interest if they don’t understand what is going on or what is required of them.
6. Inability to accept accountability for their actions
Do you have a coworker or superior who never accepts responsibility for their mistakes and shortcomings, always passing the buck for an easy life? If so, then you understand this phenomenon only too well. This type of negative behavior can inhibit the trust that coworkers need to effectively work as a team in pursuit of common goals.
Expert Tip
Leap on the time when the coworker or manager was accountable for their own actions, to reinforce this positive behavior.
7. Poor attendance record
Another type of negative behavior that is more passive-aggressive in nature involves constant tardiness and / or absences. These employees simply don’t care enough to commit to being on time every day, and they give little or no thought as to how their attendance habits might impact their team or the business.
Expert Tip
Pro Tip: There might be a totally valid reason as to why a certain colleague turns up 15 minutes late every day, so try to find out what this is. They can’t wake up in time? Gift them an alarm clock for Christmas. The public transport they get is often delayed? Signpost them to a car sharing website.
8. Gossiping and clique behavior
Noticing that there are more water cooler moments than there should be at work? Gossiping is a natural part of life, but it can become really uncomfortable for some, especially after the office party! Gossip and clique-like behavior can quickly erode trust by creating subgroups within your company’s team that are pitted against one another. If the culture at work is filled with small cliques and endless gossip, chances are that you have noticed just how negative those behaviors can be, causing psychological harm if they are left unchecked. It can demoralize colleagues, create an environment of hostility and bad attitudes, and result in a breakdown of teamwork.
Expert Tip
Pro Tip: If you can sense conversations start to go down the gossip route, steer the conversation in another direction in a subtle way that hopefully no-one will notice or mind.
9. Inappropriate use of offensive language
First, let’s be clear about one thing: one person’s offensive language might be another person’s day-to-day pattern of speech. That said, there should be some limits to profanity and suggestive language in the workplace. If you find that your workplace is filled with language that makes you uncomfortable, then you can fairly interpret that as negative behavior.
Expert Tip
Pro Tip: You could opt to take the path of a more informal approach by having a swear box close by. Colleagues have to put in $1 every time they use inappropriate language, deemed to be so by the rest of the team. The resulting amount could be used to take everyone out for a drink at the end of the year.
10. Arrogance
Confidence is an asset. Arrogance is not. In fact, arrogance is one of those seriously negative behaviors in the workplace that disrupts team trust and pulls apart interpersonal relations. After all, who honestly feels comfortable working alongside Mr Know-It-All? These types of employees are so focused on themselves, and what they want, that they often end up being truly disruptive influences in the workplace by ignoring others’ needs and bulldozing ahead with their own agenda.
Expert Tip
Pro Tip: Just like bullies, arrogant people will probably be hiding an underlying cause as to why they are that way inclined. By getting to the bottom of the reason, you can help your colleague by listening, or involving a third party, such as a mediator, to smooth the pathway.
Tips for dealing with negative behaviors in the workplace
Unless you own the company, chances are that your options for actually dealing directly with negative behaviors in the workplace may be limited. At the same time, however, there are some things you can do to try to address bad conduct and alleviate the situation a little.
First, take a long hard look at yourself and ensure that your behavior at work is professional, approachable, and collaborative.
Every morning, when you walk into the office, have a smile on your face. It sets you up for the day, and will rub off on others so the day begins on a positive note.
Evaluate your own standards, making sure that you know exactly what you are willing to tolerate. Bad behavior beyond those set boundaries is something that you should refuse to accept.
When you see negative behaviors in the workplace that are clearly disruptive, address them immediately. Let the person know that their behavior won’t be tolerated, and suggest alternative conduct that could improve the situation.
When confronting bad behavior, focus on its impact rather than how it makes you feel. By avoiding emotional arguments, you can hone in on the right solutions more effectively.
Remember that positive reinforcement will always trump negative criticism.
Work on conflict resolution skills, such as effective communication, being empathetic, and mediation capabilities, to see if you can resolve the negative behaviors issues.
If all else fails, consult with coworkers and / HR, and ask for their input and any viable suggestions.
Of course, there are no guarantees that your attempts to address negative behaviors at work will actually succeed. If your efforts fail, then you will need to consider whether you can live with the situation as it stands, or if you simply need to look into getting another job.
Next steps
If you have felt that the company culture has been feeling a little toxic lately, chances are that there are some clear examples of negative behavior in the workplace hiding in plain sight. It might just be one or two colleagues who are like this. Hopefully, these tips will help you remedy the situation, or inspire you to move on to a new job.
If you decide to leave, then you will need to update your resume and begin to create a strategy for locating a new job. Start by getting a free resume review from our team of experts, and then learn how our professional resume writers can help you build the compelling narrative you need to show that you are the best candidate for your desired job.
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Written by
Elizabeth Openshaw, Editor & Content Writer, Elizabeth Openshaw, Editor & Content Writer
Elizabeth Openshaw is an Elite CV Consultant with over 12 years of experience based in Brighton, UK, with an English degree and an addiction to Wordle! She is a former Journalist of 17 years with the claim to fame that she interviewed three times Grand Slam winner and former World No.1 tennis player, Andy Murray, when he was just 14 years old. You can connect with her at Elizabeth Openshaw | LinkedIn.
