How to deal with saboteurs, sufferers and schemers in the workplace

Toxic employees lurk everywhere. They steal your time, energy and team morale. If you do not remove such employees on time, your team may become mired in constant conflicts and discontent, which will not have the best effect on work results.

Glossary

• 😈 Saboteur - an employee who deliberately disrupts work processes and interferes with the achievement of company goals by their actions or inactions.
• 😢 Sufferer is an employee who constantly complains about his life and work, creating a negative atmosphere in the team.
• 🕵️♂️ Intrigue is an employee who spreads rumors and gossip, creating conflicts and disagreements among colleagues.
• 💼 Big boss is an informal leader who seeks to subjugate other employees and play the game by his own rules, sometimes in damage to the company.
• 😴 Lazy is an employee who shirks his duties and delegates his work to others.
• 🔥 Lighter Man is an employee who often provokes conflicts and tries to create chaos in the workplace.
• 🤢 Just a nasty guy - an employee who is rude, disrespectful to co-workers and creates an unpleasant work environment.
• 🛑 Consequences of Toxicity - Negative outcomes that result from the presence of toxic employees, such as decreased productivity, decreased morale and increased staff turnover.

The impact of toxic employees on the team and work process

I can say with confidence that toxic employees are a real problem for any company. Each of them brings their own negative traits into the team and undermines the internal climate. If toxic employees are not dealt with promptly, the company faces serious consequences. I am convinced that a leader must take immediate action.

Otherwise:

• 🚫 The authority of management is undermined - if bosses tolerate such employees, it demonstrates their inability to cope with the problem.
• 🚫 Conflicts in the team complicate business processes - the work process is slowed down, the quality of work decreases.
• 🚫 Staff attrition - motivated employees may leave the company if they see that management is not taking any measures to improving the atmosphere.

If you encounter toxic employees, I would first recommend conducting an internal investigation. I believe it is important to understand the true reasons for their behavior and try to solve the problem at an early stage.

Practical recommendations for dealing with toxic employees

• 🔍 Identify: Regularly conduct anonymous employee surveys to identify sources of toxicity.
• 💬 Feedback: Meet with suspected employees one-on-one to discuss their behavior and try to resolve the problem.
• ✍️ Documentation: Keep thorough records of the employee's behavior to provide evidence if more stringent action is necessary.
• 📅 Action Plan: Develop a clear plan of action to correct the situation and regularly check progress.

Table of consequences and solutions

I believe that following these guidelines can significantly improve team morale and productivity. Motivating an employee is not an easy task, but it is extremely important for the successful functioning of the company.

Types of Toxic Employees

Saboteur

One of the most obvious examples of a toxic employee is a saboteur. In my practice, I came across colleagues who were always dissatisfied with something. For example, in one of our companies we had an employee who constantly complained about low wages, poor working conditions and incompetent management. This person immediately began to sabotage changes and often missed deadlines for completing tasks. Saboteurs not only avoid work themselves, but also infect the entire team with their negativity.

🟣 For example, when we were implementing a new project management system, our saboteur did everything it is possible that the implementation process will be delayed. He refused to participate in training and spread rumors that the system would lead to unnecessary bureaucracy.

Recommendations for solving the problem:

• ✏️ Ask the saboteur to express his ideas and suggestions.
• ✏️ Discuss possible improvements that would benefit the company.

Action table:

Schemer

🔴 Probably, many managers have encountered employees who love to collect gossip and discuss everyone and everything behind their backs. In one of my teams, I had an employee who skillfully “drived wedges” between colleagues, pushing their heads together and creating misunderstandings. This person spent a huge amount of time discussing the personal lives of employees and tried to denigrate other colleagues in front of management.

To combat this type of employee, I recommend:

• 👀 Collect a “dossier” on the schemer, recording cases of violation of discipline.
• 👀 If the intrigues continue, take enforcement action, such as depriving the bonus or increasing the task plan.

Big Boss

🍀 This type of employee is convinced of his exceptional importance and often considers his opinion is the only correct one. I remember how one of my colleagues constantly tried to interfere in all processes and teach his superiors. This person could really confuse some employees with his “authority” and undermine trust in management.

Based on my experience:

• ✏️ Try giving such an employee a difficult task. This will show his real competence.
• ✏️ If he does well, consider promoting him to leverage his ambition for the benefit of the company.

Action table:

Lazy

🟢 I remember how in one of the companies we had an employee who tried his best to avoid work. He didn’t bring any proposals, remained silent at planning meetings and always delayed deadlines. This caused other employees to begin to question why they should work if someone else was also getting paid without effort.

My approach to solving the problem with lazy people:

• ✏️ Give specific tasks and break them into parts, controlling deadlines.
• ✏️ Motivate the employee, praise him for a job well done and send him for training.

Sufferer

🔵 Sufferers are employees who believe that they work harder than everyone else and they always have the most difficult tasks. One of my colleagues constantly complained about his plight and accused management of unreasonable nagging. Such negativity quickly spreads and begins to depress the spirit of the team.

I have found that the best approach to working with sufferers is:

• ✏️ Time management training and inclusion in team projects to improve interaction with other employees.
• ✏️ Use teamwork to demonstrate equal contribution from each member.

Table actions:

Lighter Man

🟠 At first glance, this employee seems like a real sweetheart. But if you take a closer look, it becomes obvious that this is just a joker who distracts other employees from work. One prominent example was an employee who, despite his communication skills, contributed little to no value to the company.

I recommend using the following methods:

• ✏️ Focus this employee’s energy on important meetings and communications with clients.
• ✏️ Monitor his busyness so that there is no time left for empty talk.

Just a nasty guy

🔵 At some point in my practice there was an employee who who openly harmed others, insulted and bullied colleagues. The total negativity coming from him destroyed the working atmosphere in the company and demotivated the team.

To solve this problem I recommend:

• ✏️ At the first complaints, understand the situation by confronting the offender and his victim.
• ✏️ If the incident repeats, fire without hesitation in order to maintain harmony in the team.

Action table:

Thus, toxic employees can significantly harm the atmosphere and performance of the team. Proper management and timely problem solving can increase efficiency and harmony in the work environment.

Effective measures to control toxic employees: Personal experience and recommendations

In my practice, I have repeatedly encountered the problem of toxic employees, among whom are saboteurs, sufferers, intriguers and similar negative characters. These types of employees can significantly undermine the team atmosphere and reduce overall productivity. I'll share with you the techniques I've used to counter this problem and create a healthier work environment.

One day we discovered someone in our company who was systematically undermining the team's efforts. His actions led to delays in projects and demoralization of colleagues. To deal with this, I have developed strict policies and procedures to monitor and evaluate the performance of each employee.

Examples of effective measures that I introduced:

• 📊 Formation of a working group to analyze productivity and identifying violations.
• 📜 Development of a set of rules governing working and personal relationships in the team.
• ⚙️ Introduction of a system of penalties, such as fines for failure to comply with rules and reduction of bonuses.

It was the development of such a system that turned out to be extremely useful. I can confidently say that establishing clear boundaries and sanctions for violations of discipline helped reduce the risk of sabotage. For example, we used reprimands for repeated violations, and severe reprimands up to and including dismissal for serious disciplinary offenses.

As for the sufferers, I am convinced that the best method of dealing with them is to load the employees with work. When work hours are filled with tasks, there is simply no time left for complaints and intrigue. However, in order not to cause dissatisfaction among adequate employees, it is important to balance the workload. Having encountered such a situation in one of the projects, I introduced a system of task rotation so that all employees had equal opportunities and workloads.

To improve the psychological climate in the team, I organized regular corporate events and trainings on managing emotions and stress. This not only helped create a more sociable and supportive atmosphere, but also strengthened team cohesion. One such training resulted in a noticeable improvement in department morale, which in turn increased overall productivity.

Below are the key takeaways and practical recommendations that I would encourage you to consider:

Conclusions and recommendations:

• 🚀 Fill your work time with useful activities: This helps prevent complaints and intrigue.

• 📋 Develop clear regulations and a system of rules: Establish standards of behavior and work processes within the team.

• ⚖️ Introduce a punishment system: Reduce bonuses and fines for breaking rules can be effective measures.

• 🌟 Organize corporate events: This will improve psychological climate and will unite the team.

Review table:

So I'm confident that these measures will help you effectively deal with toxic employees and maintain a healthy work environment, which will ultimately increase the productivity of your team.

Expert experience of Skechers

Company Skechers is a leading global brand in the production of footwear and clothing. The company's main goal is to create high quality and fashionable products that satisfy the needs of a wide range of consumers. With more than 3,000 stores worldwide and annual sales of over $4 billion, Skechers continues to steadily increase its market share.

Main goals and objectives

• Ensuring stable income growth 💹.
• Improving the internal climate in the company and increasing employee productivity.
• Reduced staff turnover and increased team loyalty.

Statement of the main problem

One of the key problems of Skechers is the presence of toxic employees who create a negative atmosphere in the team and make it difficult to achieve their goals. Their behavior negatively affects the work process and relationships within the team.

Examples of behavior of toxic employees

Example #1: In the Skechers marketing department, an employee was blocking important advertising campaigns, resulting in missed deadlines and missed revenue opportunities.

Example #2: In the sales department, another employee regularly undermined the morale of the team, which led to a decrease in overall sales by 15% per quarter.

Example #3: In the development department, an employee constantly created conflicts, forcing employees to compete with each other, which led to delays in the completion of projects.

Consequences of Having Toxic Employees

Toxic employees can lead to disastrous consequences for a company:

• Performance drop by 20-30%.
• Increase in staff turnover by 40% per year.
• Deterioration of corporate image and loss of customer confidence.

"Toxic employees can undermine the corporate culture and demotivate the team. Their negative influence can extend beyond the team and even affect clients." - Elizabeth McGee, Head of HR at Skechers.

Problem solution

To change the situation and improve the climate in the Skechers team, it was decided:

• Introduce a system of feedback and regular performance assessments employees 📊.
• Develop training and motivation programs to strengthen team spirit 🤝.
• Implement clear procedures to identify and eliminate toxic employees.

These measures contributed to an improved work climate and increased overall employee performance by 25%. Successfully addressing this issue allowed Skechers to continue its strong growth and expansion into new markets.

Frequently Asked Questions Related: How to Deal with Saboteurs, Harassers, and Schemers in the Workplace

Thanks for reading and gaining new experience 🌟

That's all, friends! 💼 You learned how to recognize and deal with saboteurs , sufferers and schemers in his team. 🚀 Your knowledge has now become so professional that you are able to turn any toxic work process into a comfortable and productive place. Don't forget that eliminating such employees will not only improve the atmosphere, but also significantly improve the team's effectiveness.

Your thoughts and comments are always welcome below!

— Anton Koval, independent expert Elbuz

"In the world of business, words are my pencils , and automation is my artistic painting. Welcome to the online store efficiency gallery, where every text is a masterpiece of success!”