Explain how you may have attempted to resolve the issues with your coworker and how their actions have made you feel. Make sure you correlate their actions to your feelings and work environment. You can take this time to reiterate your
Be as objective as possible. Explain the situation in calm, clear language, using a professional tone of voice. Avoid personal attacks or complaints about your coworker; instead, cite specific actions your coworker has taken that are impacting your productivity and wellbeing in the workplace.
Sometimes, simply mentioning your concerns in a caring way as you explain how they are impacting your experience at work is enough to make someone desire positive change. Remember to use first-person language and focus on what you are noticing, rather than approaching your co-worker with blaming language.
Always Stay Professional
Ask what the employee might say about you and prepare your response. The more one-sided and accusatory you seem, the less likely your boss will believe everything you say. Be respectful to the person you are complaining about and recognize any possible legitimate excuses for her actions.
Establish boundaries
Setting limits is the first step in managing a toxic coworker and ensuring their behavior doesn't affect your mood or work performance. Try to distance yourself from your colleague when they engage in conduct like gossiping, micromanaging and harassment.
Toxic coworkers are often unsatisfied with their own personal performance, position, pay, or experience in the workforce and they've allowed that dissatisfaction to come to such a boiling point that they become detractors within the culture, says Robert H.
In general terms, there are four types of complaints – productive, venting, chronic, and malicious – and four varieties of complainers – aggressive, expressive, passive, and constructive.
I'm emailing you to discuss [briefly mention the situation here]. While I acknowledge [state a potential reason or factor that may have influenced the situation], [state the specific behavior or action] is unacceptable in the workplace. In the future, I would appreciate it if you could [provide a solution].
Be specific, give examples, and consider the ways in which you can help encourage and model the changes you'd like to see in the team dynamics. Remember that this is just a job. Your coworkers' shenanigans don't need to matter if they're not interfering with your ability to work on your own tasks.
HR isn't necessarily the right place to go, but they will know what you should do. They will also know how to document and get your complaint pushed to the top. Lots of companies have anonymous hotlines for things like this, but if your company doesn't, and you don't know who to speak to, come to HR.
Ask a supervisor for help
As a manager, handling interoffice communication issues is a major part of their job and they usually have the authority to immediately take action. Just like when discussing the issue with your coworker, describe the specific situations in which your coworker displayed the behavior.
The passive complainer is an introvert. They are friendly but can be totally indecisive. You cannot hurry this type of customer. They hate sales pressure and need reassurance. Passive complainers are the most lethal to a business' success, as they will complain to everyone but the actual business.
Signs of a Hostile Work Environment
Repeated comments or jokes about a protected characteristic (e.g., race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity) Displaying offensive symbols or pictures. Threatening or intimidating behavior. Physical assaults or unwanted touching. Sexual harassment.
Common behaviors include bullying, yelling, manipulating and belittling. Employees in a toxic work environment may be nervous to speak their minds, raise concerns or share thoughts because they are worried about being rejected or reprimanded.
Try to avoid conversations about your personal life to eliminate the opportunity for your coworker to chime in about how much better their life is. A “one-upper” feeds off of the opportunity to shut down what you just said with their much better story. Don't give your coworker the chance to show off.
The manipulator may experience physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual distress due to a guilty conscience and shame. The manipulator may feel stress and anxiety from having to constantly “cover” themselves, for fear of being found out and exposed.