How to Deal With Toxic Coworkers

A toxic coworker is someone who disrupts others and creates a negative atmosphere in the workplace. There are various traits associated with toxic coworkers, including undermining others, making “jokes” that are quite insulting, gossiping about others and constantly complaining. Toxic coworkers are generally a drain on others and not someone you would wish to be around. They don’t just get on with their job, they create drama and make life difficult for others. There are various ways you can deal with toxic coworkers.

Keep Your Distance

When you work in a team, it can be difficult to avoid toxic coworkers and office politics. However, you can try to limit contact as much as possible. Even if someone isn’t directly targeting you, it can be hard to work with someone who is constantly negative or undermining others. Speak to the individual only when necessary. You may even want to consider discussing the matter with your manager so they are aware of how you feel. They might even be able to assist in keeping you apart.

Informal Chat

If it’s impossible to avoid contact with the individual, you may wish to have a discussion with them. Some people are genuinely unaware of how they are behaving. For instance, they don’t realise they are being so negative or they may not realise their “jokes” are negatively impacting you. Sometimes an informal discussion can change behaviour. If you don’t feel comfortable doing this then maybe their manager can have a quiet word in their ear.

Formal Process

If the toxic behaviour is serious or if informal discussions are failing to make any difference, you may wish to proceed to a formal route. This may involve raising a grievance with your HR department, who will need to follow a structured process. 

A toxic coworker can cause a lot of distress and may even cause you to rethink your employment. At Inspired CVs, we can provide you with a professional CV, as well as one to one consultations to help you progress your career. You can order here or contact us to find out more about our career services.