Your New Intranet Starts Here
Streamline communication, boost collaboration, and empower your team with MyHub's intuitive intranet solution.
Book a live demo now and experience the difference.
Take a Quick TourNegative, grumpy, and constantly complaining, everyone has a story about working with a difficult colleague. For managers and HR professionals, handling employees with bad attitudes can be one of the toughest challenges. Often, these workers are high performers in terms of skills and output but cause major disruption with their toxic behavior. Ignoring the issue can have serious consequences: team morale declines, productivity drops, and top performers may leave for competitors. To help you maintain a positive and productive work environment, here are five practical tips on how to handle employees with bad attitudes.
How To Identify Employees With Bad Attitudes
Recognizing an employee with a negative attitude isn’t always as easy as it sounds. Some hide their behavior from management and vent only to colleagues. To address toxic behavior early, watch out for these common signs of employees with bad attitudes:
- Constantly complaining about the company, management, or workload
- Talking behind colleagues’ backs and spreading gossip
- Undermining managers through persistent criticism or exaggeration
- Blaming others for mistakes instead of taking responsibility
- Stirring up office politics or encouraging division within the team
Of course, every employee has an off day, occasional frustrations or disagreements are normal. What separates toxic employees from others is the persistence and pattern of this negative behavior over time.
It’s also crucial to distinguish between genuine feedback and toxic complaints. Employees who raise constructive concerns during meetings or reviews are often trying to improve processes, not cause conflict. Don’t confuse these proactive employees with serial complainers, one seeks solutions, the other spreads negativity.
Why Do Employees Develop Bad Attitudes?
Before addressing problematic behavior, it’s essential to understand why employees develop bad attitudes. Every individual’s situation is unique, but several common triggers can explain negative workplace behavior.
Poor Employee Engagement
Disengaged employees are often bored, disconnected, and dissatisfied. When staff feel that their work has little purpose or impact, their attitude can quickly deteriorate. Review your employee engagement strategy to ensure you’re actively motivating and involving team members in meaningful ways.
Mental Health And Wellbeing
The pandemic has put employee wellbeing in the spotlight. Remote workers, in particular, may struggle with loneliness or burnout, which can manifest as irritability or negativity. Others may be dealing with anxiety or personal stress. Supporting employee wellness through open communication, flexible schedules, and mental health resources can help prevent these issues from escalating.
Lack Of Recognition
Feeling unappreciated is one of the most common reasons employees develop poor attitudes. A culture of recognition helps boost morale, build trust, and prevent resentment among team members. Celebrate achievements, both big and small, and make sure employees feel valued for their contributions. Check out our post on employee motivation for practical ideas to recognize and reward staff effectively.
Conflict Between Team Members
Sometimes a toxic attitude stems from unresolved conflict. When colleagues clash over personalities or responsibilities, frustration and hostility can spread throughout the team. Managers need to remain neutral, avoid favoritism, and mediate fairly. For useful insights, explore our strategies to overcome remote team conflict, many of which also apply to in-office environments.
How To Handle Employees With Bad Attitudes: 5 Practical Strategies
Taking action to address employees with bad attitudes is critical. While it’s natural to want to avoid difficult conversations, ignoring negativity allows it to spread and infect your entire team. Toxic behavior doesn’t just lower morale and productivity, it can also damage customer experience and your company’s brand reputation. That’s why early intervention and proactive management are essential for maintaining a healthy workplace culture.
Here are five practical strategies to help you handle employees with bad attitudes effectively and professionally.
1. Record Examples Of Bad Attitude
The first step in resolving the issue is to document specific examples of problematic behavior. Confronting an employee with vague accusations of having a “bad attitude” is unhelpful and often leads to defensiveness. Instead, gather concrete evidence that shows how their behavior impacts others and the organization. Examples might include rude emails, uncooperative conduct in meetings, or disrespectful comments about management. Keep these guiding questions in mind:
- What measurable impact has the employee’s attitude had on performance or morale?
- How have their actions affected team dynamics and collaboration?
- In what ways has the employee’s behavior strayed from the company’s code of conduct or culture values?
2. Schedule A Private Meeting
Once you’ve collected examples, schedule a private one-on-one meeting with the employee. If appropriate, include an HR representative to ensure the discussion remains objective and professional. This shows that the issue is not personal but organizationally important.
Here are some tips to make the conversation productive:
- Start by acknowledging the difficulty of the conversation to set a calm and respectful tone.
- Use a positive and constructive approach. Recognize the employee’s contributions while clearly outlining where change is needed.
- Be specific, refer to documented incidents and explain how they negatively affected the team.
- Listen actively. Give the employee space to express their concerns, this often reveals underlying issues such as frustration, burnout, or misunderstanding.
- Use inclusive language like “we” instead of “but” or “however.” This frames the issue as a shared goal for improvement rather than a personal criticism.
3. Develop An Action Plan
After your meeting, work together to create a clear action plan. Outline specific behavior changes, measurable goals, and a timeline for improvement. Schedule follow-up meetings to monitor progress and provide feedback. Keeping open lines of communication helps prevent resentment and encourages accountability.
4. Know When To Say Goodbye
Some employees may respond positively once they understand the consequences of their behavior. Coaching, empathy, and support can often help these individuals realign with company expectations. However, others may remain resistant or uncooperative, despite repeated efforts.
If an employee refuses to change, follow company policy and issue formal warnings where necessary. In extreme cases, termination may be the only solution to protect your team’s culture and productivity. Although it’s a tough decision, removing a persistently toxic employee can dramatically improve morale across the organization.
5. Avoid Bad Attitudes With A Positive Corporate Culture
The best way to prevent negative attitudes is to nurture a positive company culture. A supportive, transparent environment minimizes dissatisfaction and encourages collaboration. Below are key cultural elements that help reduce workplace negativity.
Promote Two-Way Communication
Encouraging open communication across all levels of the organization gives employees a voice and fosters trust. Platforms like team chat, intranet forums, and blogs make it easier for workers to share ideas and feedback. Two-way communication also helps management stay in touch with employee sentiment and identify brewing issues early.
Enhance Employee Engagement
Research shows that highly engaged teams experience better retention, productivity, and morale. Use pulse surveys, training programs, and internal recognition to strengthen engagement. When employees feel valued and connected, negativity has little room to grow.
Value Workers’ Efforts
Recognition is a cornerstone of healthy company culture. A simple “thank you,” an employee of the month spotlight, or a public IM shoutout can go a long way. For more ideas on building a culture of appreciation, check out our guide on company culture.
Celebrate Team Achievements
Take time to celebrate success. Whether it’s a shared lunch or a quick team shoutout, small gestures build unity and reinforce the idea that everyone’s contributions matter. Recognition creates positive momentum and reinforces collective purpose.
Promote Employee Wellbeing
Healthy employees are happy employees. Investing in employee wellbeing programs, from yoga and mindfulness sessions to volunteer opportunities, supports both morale and performance. Even small initiatives, such as flexible work options or health checks, can make a lasting difference in how employees feel about their workplace.
How To Handle Employees With Bad Attitudes: Quick Summary
You cannot afford to ignore workers with poor attitudes. Like a computer virus that infects all corners of the business, the employee’s negativity also has a devastating impact. Here’s a quick summary of what you need to do.
- Be proactive and decisive. Take early action to stop the problem affecting morale and productivity.
- Keep a record of examples of the employee’s bad attitude and how it’s affected the team.
- Have a private discussion with the individual. Be specific and set out your expectations about acceptable behavior.
- Agree an action plan and monitor progress. Try to work with the individual to resolve the problem. However, be prepared to take formal disciplinary action if you need to.
- Minimize the potential for employees with bad attitudes by promoting a positive corporate culture.
Interested in finding out more? MyHub’s blog has plenty of best practice tips on HR-related issues, including performance management, team collaboration, leadership skills, and much more.
MyHub provides out-of-the-box intranet solutions to businesses worldwide. Our customers come in all shapes and sizes and operate in various industries. Find out why we are so popular with a free demo or 14-day trial.
FAQ Section
What are the common signs of employees with bad attitudes?
Look for persistent complaining, gossip, undermining others, shifting blame, negativity in meetings, or resistance to collaboration.
When should a manager step in?
At the first signs of chronic negative behavior that affects team morale, performance, or client outcomes. Early intervention prevents toxic spread.
Can a bad attitude be changed?
Yes—if the employee is open, the manager is supportive, expectations are clear, and there’s a structured plan. But conversion requires accountability, follow-up, and sometimes tough decisions.
