11 Toxic Office Personalities and How to Deal with Them All

So, there’s always that one person on your team, that bad apple who has nothing positive to say, riles up other team members, and makes work life miserable. If you can't fire that person, how do you respond to his or her behavior? What kind of feedback do you give? How do you mitigate the damage that this employee causes?

Let's consider ten of the toxic types of employees that you may be dealing with as well as some ideas to help you help them change their ways.

1. The Complainer

No matter what you say or do to support him or her, the complainer is a disengaged employee who is never satisfied. Not only do complainers not agree with what's going on, but they don’t even try to understand the issues at hand.

So when you’re having to deal with complainers, whiners and grumblers, remember that there are often two sides to every story. Sit down with complainers and see if there is a deeper issue that is upsetting them. Be empathetic and professional. Ask him or her what's making them unhappy. In that same conversation ask what they like about their jobs.

Keep in mind that the first time you have this talk, there may not be enough trust in you to share the real story. But don't give up. There are no quick fixes in the work environment that lead to long-term change. So, don't give up and don't give in. Do what you can to help your employees win.

2. The Excuse Maker

No matter what they’re supposed to do, these employees always have an excuse for why they’re not able to complete an assignment. Anyone who has played sports or participated in a competitive team activity will tell you that an excuse maker can kill a team. It’s the same in the workplace. These toxic employees never take responsibility for their actions and decisions. And their lack of enthusiasm in completing tasks or participating with the team causes a lot of damage.

There is nothing more demoralizing than a teammate who doesn't hold his or her end of the bargain and who throws colleagues under the bus instead of being accountable

When you’re dealing with an excuse maker, you need to create the type of psychologically safe culture where this employee feels okay telling you the actual status of work projects. Make sure every employee knows the end result is what matters and that help is available for the asking. However, it is up to the employee to seek help. If not, consequences will happen.

3. The Unenthusiastic Employee

These workers never seem to get excited about any part of their jobs. When employees aren't happy about a situation, they tend to lack enthusiasm. When employees become disengaged, they are not likely to care about the tasks they must complete. Now granted … not all jobs can be fun, but is there something you can do to take the tedium out of the task?

To handle apathy, keep an eye on your employees and look for things that light them up. Notice what they enjoy doing. What are their strengths? Introduce them to books and training programs to help them discover their strengths and what they are good at.

Also, look at your company culture and do things that will improve it and make it a more engaging and fun place to work.

4. The Unhelpful Worker

Disengaged employees tend to like to be on their own. When the time comes to offer help, they often choose not to. It’s not that they don’t like the people around them. It’s more that they don’t want to help because they feel that they’re better doing their own thing.

To get unhelpful workers more involved, try adding in team building activities that will encourage them to collaborate with colleagues on special projects. When you see unhelpful employees helping others, recognize them for their efforts. Catch them in the act of doing things well, recognize it, and they will probably be more willing to help others.

5. The Gossip   

Gossips are not ones to talk about ideas; instead, they like to negatively talk about people. Toxic employees tend to gossip and spread bad vibes around the office. They never let the truth ruin a good story. The best way to deal with gossips is to nip it in the bud. If they come to you with a piece of juicy gossip, ask, "Would it be okay if we go to the other person and ask it this is true, and can I use your name?"  Or you could say, "Let's go over together and ask Mary about this." If it is truly gossip, there is no way this employee will agree to confirm the story. Let your employees know that you will not tolerate gossip in the workplace.

6. The Liar

For whatever reason, liars find it easy to lie to get out of situations or avoid things. Even worse is when they lie about getting an assignment done. A toxic mix of lying and making excuses can quickly destroy an office. And, when you have multiple employees doing this, it can be awful for your company culture. When dealing with liars, make sure you have the facts in front of you of what was supposed to happen and what actually happened. By confronting a liar with facts you will help him or her be more accountable.

7. The Know-It-All

There is nothing worse than a person who is talented and tends to act like they are above everybody. A know-it-all attitude can cause considerable damage within a workplace because it ruffles feathers and upsets people. (There’s a reason some of the best leaders in the world are the strong humble types.) Sometimes, know-it-alls lack confidence and try to pretend they are better than they are. Let them know that their behavior is alienating coworkers and arrange for them to take appropriate training to help.

8. The Independent Employee

Usually, we praise companies for having autonomous employees who succeed and do things on their own. In some cases, however, people are actually disengaged and trying to work independently of others, which can be bad news for everyone. Independent employees are probably not getting that much work done and instead they spend a lot of time slacking.

In this situation, management should try asking for more results from independents to build some momentum to make him better. Look for ways to get these employees involved in team projects. Ask them about the part of his job they enjoy and help them to do more of that. Expand their responsibilities and hold them accountable for getting their projects done.

9. The Irresponsible Worker

Irresponsible workers have their fair share of moments when they are doing careless things at work. They forget to call in sick, they show up smelling like last night’s party, they come in late. This type of repeated irresponsibility is unacceptable and it’s important to make these employees aware that their negligent behavior is bringing down the team. Ask them to improve their behavior. If their behavior doesn’t change, you may be forced to use a progressive discipline process so they realize that there are consequences for bad behavior.

10. No Initiative Employee

This worker is someone who shows no initiative in taking the reins on a project or being a leader within the office. They are okay with blending in, and they often don’t mind not having a voice. To deal with these no initiative employees, it’s important to remind them that an office is a community, and when someone lacks initiative and doesn’t contribute, it brings down the whole team. There is no real way of fixing a person’s psyche, however, you can use some motivational tactics to make these employees more excited about their jobs.

Want to learn more? Register for our live, virtual workshop: How to Work Better With Difficult People.

BONUS TOXIC BEHAVIOR:  So how do you confront someone about unacceptable passive-aggressive behavior?

Be honest but respectful. 

Tell the person directly (but not in harsh or dramatic terms) how their behavior affects you. Try to focus on yourself and your feelings rather than the other person. For example, instead of saying, "you sabotaged our project at work", try saying "I noticed that our project wasn't the best and I want us to be sure that it’s better next time". When you tell someone his or her behavior is hurting you, it’s likely that he or she will deny everything.

Remember passive-aggressive people don't like to talk about their feelings. They certainly don't want you to call them out on them. Stick to the facts and give examples but be prepared for resistance and denial. Try to be understanding.

A passive-aggressive person might harbor feelings of low self-worth that make it difficult to communicate their feelings effectively. Talking together can help you understand the possible roots of the passive-aggressive behavior if the person is willing to open up a bit and you are willing to suspend judgment in an effort to understand.