It’s an unfortunate fact of working life that your colleagues won’t always be easy to get along with.
But when the person causing the friction is someone you manage, the stakes are significantly higher. If ignored, a difficult team member can tank morale, kill productivity, and send your other staff running for the exit. And if dealt with poorly, you could find yourself facing a grievance hearing or an unfair dismissal claim.
Whether you’re a new manager or a seasoned director, knowing how to navigate these tricky personalities is a vital skill. To help you keep your sanity (and your team intact), here’s our guide on how to deal with difficult employees, including the legal steps you need to know.
Why it’s important to deal with difficult employees
No one enjoys awkward conversations or conflict – but putting your head in the sand is rarely a winning strategy.
When you fail in dealing with challenging employees, the fallout spreads. High performers may feel that poor behaviour is tolerated, leading to resentment, and projects get delayed because one cog in the wheel isn’t turning. Ultimately, your reputation as a leader takes a hit.
By addressing issues early, you aren’t just ‘telling someone off’. You’re setting standards, protecting your team’s culture, and often helping that difficult individual improve their own career prospects.
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Five types of difficult employee (and how to manage them)
To help you decide the best way to address the situation, here are five classic types of difficult employee, and what you can do to manage them:
1. The Lazy One
Who they are: The lazy employee comes in many forms, but they always have one thing in common: they’re not pulling their weight. Not to be confused with the under-performing employee who tries hard but lacks skills. It’s not so much that they’re struggling, but more that they just don’t really care. Lazy by design.
How to spot them: Their favoured habitat is basically anywhere other than their desk. Can often be seen chatting to numerous people around the office, scrolling through social media, making yet another round of coffees in the kitchen or just generally disappearing for hours on end.
How to manage them: Because lazy employees are usually adept at covering up their lack of productivity, you may find it tricky to catch them in action – but don’t fall for their excuses.
- Be specific: Don’t just say ‘you need to work harder’. Give clear deadlines and specific outputs.
- Redirect: Remain firm and redirect them to appropriate tasks.
- Check-in: Make sure you regularly check in on their progress. Once they know their shirking has been spotted, they’re usually much more inclined to pull their weight.
2. The Overly Ambitious One
Who they are: OK, so there’s nothing wrong with showing a little ambition. However, it does begin to become a problem when people blur the lines between determination and just trying to outdo everyone around them. They’re the employees who will try to undermine your authority by cross-examining you, questioning your instructions and, sometimes, by blatantly going their own way instead of yours. Let’s face it, nobody likes a try hard.
How to spot them: Often seen holding court, advising and micro-managing their colleagues, these employees tend to need constant input and reassurance so that they feel valued. If they begin feeling like they’re underappreciated, they can have a habit of inventing things for themselves to ‘be in charge of’. Think ‘Floor Champion’ or ‘Officer in Charge of Staples’, or any other title which gives them license to start bossing other people around.
How to manage them: These employees may be irritating but they can be kept in check.
- Delegate wisely: It’s all about delegation. By regularly ensuring they have enough work to do, they feel more appreciated and less likely to show off at every opportunity.
- Give credit: Give them their dues and let them work hard. It’s all they ever really want.
- Set boundaries: Make it clear where their authority ends and yours begins.
3. The Dramatic One
Who they are: AKA ‘the Dalai Drama’. As the title suggests, these are the employees who don’t feel their day has been a success unless there have been a few tears, a little bit of shouting and a betrayal or two. If no real drama is available, they’ll either get on board someone else’s or do their best to invent some.
How to spot them: The first person on the scene if there’s any hint of a situation going south. May also be seen pacing angrily up and down the room, or trotting out one of their own self-created catchphrases (e.g. ‘Why am I doing ALL the work’, ‘Have you heard what happened?’, and other terrible attempts at making them the centre of attention).
How to manage them:
- Stay neutral: The best approach in dealing with these employees is to remain short and sharp. Do not engage in the emotion.
- Focus on facts: Remind them that the workplace is no place for gossip or unnecessary drama, and ask them to keep it as professional as possible moving forward.
- Check for root causes: Just make sure that there isn’t an underlying issue before you talk to them. The constant need for drama can sometimes be used to cover something bigger, like stress or burnout.
4. The ‘Hilarious’ One
Who they are: The perennial class clown in school, their main aim in life is to get as many laughs as possible. Think of them as a frustrated stand-up comedian. Always up for a laugh and willing to put themselves on the line for the sake of ‘banter’. ROFL. LOL. Etc.
How to spot them: They’re the one in the silly hat. Literally. Outfits may also contain t-shirts with slogans on them, or other equally cool pop-culture references. May also sometimes be seen hanging around the water cooler, trying out their latest material. Literal or metaphorical.
How to manage them:
- Don’t kill the joy: In reality, they’re usually the least bothersome of all bothersome employees. Well-meaning and cheerful, they just want everyone to be happy.
- Address disruption: If their shenanigans are causing too many disruptions, it’s time to get things in check. Instead of singling them out publicly, sit down with the whole team to talk about the importance of maintaining focus.
- Refocus: You don’t have to be a killjoy; but you do have to place the emphasis back on productivity.
5. The Cynical One
Who they are: This is the employee who never cracks a smile. Not even when the day’s over and it’s time to head home. They’re the person who walks in and out of the office with the weight of the world visibly resting on their shoulders. Just watching them is likely to put you in a bad mood.
How to spot them: They’re the one person in the office who doesn’t want to come for an after-work drink or team lunch. Unlikely to contribute to office chat, unless it’s purely to say something negative. Other employees have given up trying to include them in things. Almost as if their attitude is contagious, AKA the Bad Mood Domino Effect (definitely a real thing).
How to manage them:
- Offer support: Nobody likes seeing someone unhappy. And cynics may not be simply bad tempered but could potentially be unhappy, stressed over personal troubles or struggling with something else which makes it hard for them to work.
- Don’t write them off: The best way to deal with employees like this is to offer them support. Whether it’s an extra pat on the back now and then or a little time in the office with you for a chat, is up to you and your instincts.
10 tips for managing difficult employees
If you aren’t dealing with a specific archetype but are generally struggling with managing difficult staff, these ten rules will help you navigate the conversation.
- Listen first: Before you launch into a lecture, let them speak. There might be a genuine reason for their behaviour (health issues, trouble at home, or lack of training).
- Use the SBI model: When giving feedback, be specific. Describe the Situation, the Behaviour observed, and the Impact it had. This prevents the conversation from becoming a personal attack.
- Don’t delay: Dealing with troublesome employees becomes harder the longer you leave it – so nip it in the bud before it becomes a habit.
- Document everything: Keep a record of informal chats, agreed actions, and specific incidents. If you need to move to formal proceedings later, you’ll need this evidence.
- Keep your cool: Getting angry or emotional undermines your position. Stay calm, factual, and professional.
- Focus on behaviour, not personality: Don’t say ‘you’re lazy’. Say ‘you missed the deadline for the Q3 report’. You can change behaviour, but you can’t easily change personality.
- Set clear goals: Ensure they leave the meeting knowing exactly what they need to do to improve, and by when. Creating a professional development plan using SMART goals is a great way to do this.
- Follow up: A meeting without a follow-up is just a chat. Schedule a review date to see if things have improved.
- Involve HR: If you’re unsure how to manage difficult staff or if the behaviour is serious (like bullying), get Human Resources involved early for guidance.
- Know when to escalate: You can’t save everyone. If they refuse to change despite your support, be prepared to take formal action.
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The legal bit: What you need to know
When dealing with difficult subordinates, it’s crucial you stay on the right side of UK employment law. You can’t just fire someone because they annoy you (tempting as it may be).
To ensure you’re being fair, you should familiarise yourself with the Acas Code of Practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures. While a failure to follow the Code doesn’t automatically make you liable to proceedings, employment tribunals will take the Code into account when deciding cases.
The typical process
If an informal chat doesn’t work, you generally need to follow a formal path:
- Investigation: Establish the facts.
- Letter: Invite the employee to a disciplinary meeting in writing, explaining the issue and their right to be accompanied.
- Meeting: Discuss the issue, review evidence, and let them state their case.
- Decision: Decide on an outcome (e.g., a written warning) and inform them in writing.
- Appeal: Give them the chance to appeal the decision.
Always check your company’s specific handbook and policies before acting.
When all else fails…
Sometimes, despite our best efforts, difficult employees become too much to cope with.
If that’s the case, a tough decision about their future might need to be made before it’s too late. It might be that they’re not the right fit for the business, and asking them to move on will benefit both parties.
But make sure you think things through carefully before making any drastic decisions. They might be difficult to work with, but they could still be good employees. You just need to help them find the right balance moving forward.
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Frequently asked questions
Can I fire a difficult employee immediately?
Rarely. Unless it is a case of ‘gross misconduct’ (like theft or violence), you generally need to give warnings and a chance to improve. Firing someone on the spot for being ‘difficult’ could lead to an unfair dismissal claim if they have worked for you for more than two years.
How do I deal with a difficult staff member who is a high performer?
This is the ‘brilliant jerk’ dilemma. You must explain that how they work is just as important as what they deliver. Their bad attitude could be costing you more in team turnover than they bring in revenue. Set behavioural goals alongside their performance targets.
What if the employee raises a grievance against me?
If you’re dealing with difficult workers, they may try to turn the tables. This is why documenting your meetings and following a fair process is vital. If they raise a grievance, your company must investigate it impartially.
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