In a business environment, we can often encounter a negative employee who does not contribute to the team and thus demotivates other employees. Such a worker is called toxic,and there are several ways to influence their behaviour and avoid damage and loss for the whole company.
her we provide you with information on how to deal with them and correct their bad behaviour in the most convenient way.
The price of a “toxic” worker
Most of us have had to deal with a destructive member of the collective one or more times during our working lives. He can indeed be good at the job he does, but bad behaviour, selfishness, intimidation, rudeness, being too intrusive and dominant, or simply the way he constantly imposes his opinion can have a devastating effect on the morale of other employees. In academic circles, such a worker is called “toxic.”
Numerous studies have shown that such people cost a lot of money to the company or other collective in which they work. The productivity of other employees is rapidly declining, which leads to more frequent requests for sick leave or even dismissal. This affects the company immediately.
For example, if you own a private clinic and one of your employees utilises a patient’s health history and shares it without their permission, it may create a lot of damage to your business because if the patient finds out, you might face a costly lawsuit. Thus, if you are worried about your organisation receiving fines for not following the rules or anything similar, you can read more here on how to prevent it. Violations of HIPAA standards can result in hefty fines for health care providers, and the Office for Civil Rights has the authority to prosecute these providers’ business partners as well.
A 2015 Harvard Business School report shows that retaining and paying a “toxic” employee can cost the company an average of $12,000 a year. A separate study showed that a “toxic” worker can cause even more severe financial consequences on an annual basis. A 2012 survey of 2,700 companies on the Career Builder website shows that a quarter of respondents estimated the annual loss to be more than $50,000, while 41% cited a figure of about $25,000.
Perception of a “toxic” worker
Many experts of administration in the United States say that bosses should point out what is allowed in the company and take notice of “less effective workers,” also known as “toxic” workers. For example, if the problem of reduced efficiency is not solved, you are sending a very bad message to the rest of the team. But keep in mind that it is often possible to help “toxic” workers improve their behaviour.
It is advisable to meet with the problematic worker so that their behaviour is analysed, monitored, measured, and finally evaluated; it often happens that in this way there is an improvement in behaviour. But if these measures do not help, it is proposed to dismiss employees who have bad performance because you pay them and they do not follow the instructions, which is considered disobedience.
Cut the problem at the root
Some independent experts on human resources in the United Kingdom believe that unsatisfactory behavior should be rooted out. It is advised that companies should work hard to avoid inappropriate behavior so that all employees will be satisfied. To achieve this, companies should nurture an atmosphere in which employees are allowed to express their opinions constructively and without the fear that they will be penalized in any way.
Good ways of communication, such as frequent surveys and forums in which employees can participate, provide an opportunity for the company to take into account the views of its employees, both good and bad, and take measures in this regard. Personal experience has shown that the real problem arises when employees cannot express their dissatisfaction. This problem is much harder to spot and solve and, in the long run, can do a lot of damage.
Communication is the key
Nobody wants to deal with a “difficult” or “rebellious” colleague, but it is still important to treat everyone fairly, with dignity and respect.
Try to follow this order:
- Sit down and speak with them calmly.
- Address the problem privately and be specific.
- Get to the root cause.
- Dig deep, then act.
- Give them opportunities to change.
- Redirect their negative energy.
- Explain the impact and set clear expectations.
- Listen to other team members.
- Provide training, dialogue, and guidance.
Before you do anything, take care of your behaviour. Good leadership is important, but a team is only as good as the people in it. Your own responsibility and motivation should be a role model to everyone in the company, and this way, you will surely achieve a good atmosphere and collaboration in your team.
