How to Spot a Toxic Employee: 15 Traits You Should Never Ignore
Ivan George
John Hopkins SOM Surgery and Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine - (Surgery (Simulation Education), Periop Operations, and Anesthesia Operations (Leadership))
How to Spot a Toxic Employee: 15 Traits You Should Never Ignore
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In today’s fast-paced and competitive workplace, bad employees don’t just slow down productivity—they can derail entire teams, foster resentment, and damage company culture. The trick is learning how to identify them before they cause too much harm. But what makes someone a "bad employee," and how do you know when to take action?
?Here are 15 traits that are the hallmark of a toxic employee. If someone displays 5 or more of these behaviors, it might be time to reconsider their place in your organization.
?1. Lack of Accountability
A bad employee never owns up to their mistakes. Instead, they deflect blame, making others responsible for fixing their errors. This leads to mistrust and creates an environment where no one feels safe taking risks.
?2. Overly Legalistic
Do you have someone on your team who complicates simple issues by turning every decision into a legal matter? This person loves to enforce bureaucracy, even in situations that require quick action or flexibility, slowing down progress and frustrating coworkers and clients alike.
?3. Poor Communication
Communication breakdowns can be one of the first signs of a bad employee. Whether they ignore emails, give vague responses, or miss deadlines without explanation, their poor communication skills can bring projects to a grinding halt.
?4. Negative Attitude
We’ve all worked with someone who constantly complains. Whether it's about the workload, management, or new initiatives, their negativity can be contagious and kill team morale.
?5. Unreliable
Bad employees are often the ones who never show up on time, miss important meetings, or are inconsistent in their work. They leave their team scrambling and erode trust in their ability to deliver.
?6. Lack of Initiative
Do you have to hold someone’s hand to get them to do their job? A bad employee avoids taking action unless explicitly told what to do, and even then, they rarely go above and beyond.
?7. Repeats Drama Without Addressing It
This person thrives on spreading gossip and repeating issues, but never actually does anything to solve them. Instead of discussing the problem with the responsible parties or escalating it to their boss, they fuel tension, leaving issues unresolved and brewing beneath the surface.
?8. Dishonesty
A bad employee lies or bends the truth to their advantage. Whether it's small lies or bigger issues, dishonesty ruins team dynamics and can even damage the company’s reputation.
?9. Inability to Work with Others
Teamwork is crucial, but this person struggles to collaborate. They cause friction in groups, avoid sharing information, and prefer to work in isolation. Worse, they often clash with teammates, making every group effort feel like an uphill battle.
?10. Picking Favorites for Deference
This employee decides who they will respect and defer to, based on their own personal interests. They might undermine their direct boss, show excessive respect to someone higher up, or choose to follow certain peers while disregarding others. This selective deference causes confusion and disrupts team dynamics.
?11. Lack of Professionalism
From inappropriate emails to unprofessional interactions with clients, bad employees fail to understand basic workplace norms. Their behavior can be a constant source of embarrassment for the company.
?12. Resistance to Feedback
Constructive feedback is an opportunity to grow, but a bad employee sees it as an attack. They become defensive, shutting down any chance for improvement and causing frustration for managers and colleagues trying to help them grow.
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?13. Poor Work Ethic
Whether it's procrastination, laziness, or cutting corners, these employees have a reputation for putting in the bare minimum. Their low energy and motivation pull down the performance of the entire team.
?14. Avoids Responsibility
Have you ever worked with someone who never takes responsibility? They pass the buck, refuse to admit fault, and always have an excuse ready when things go wrong. This creates a toxic culture where no one feels accountable for their work.
?15. Creates Drama
Some employees thrive on office politics, gossip, or petty conflicts. Instead of resolving issues, they stir the pot, creating distractions that can destabilize even the best teams.
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?The Cost of Bad Employees: Why More Than 5 Traits is a Red Flag
Now, you might be thinking, "Everyone has a bad day, right?" And that’s true. We all exhibit one or two of these traits from time to time. But when someone displays more than 5 of these traits regularly, you’re dealing with a toxic employee who can undermine the entire organization.
Toxic employees don’t just create headaches for managers—they can actively cost your business time, money, and even talent. Studies have shown that one toxic employee can bring down the performance of an entire team by up to 30%, not to mention the costs of turnover and recruitment when good employees leave because of a toxic coworker.
How to Address Toxic Employees
Identifying toxic employees is only the first step. The bigger challenge is what comes next: addressing the issue head-on.
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Join the Conversation
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What toxic traits have you seen in your workplace? How do you handle bad employees, and what strategies have worked for you? Are you managing or are you the toxic employee? Let me know in the comments—I’d love to hear your stories and solutions!
?And don’t forget, toxic employees aren’t just a nuisance—they can cause lasting damage if left unchecked. Make sure you spot these behaviors early and take action before it’s too late.
Board Certified Plastic Surgeon at SSK Plastic Surgery
2 个月Those traits make for a person detrimental to the whole team