One disgruntled employee can cost your business more money than a team of star employees. Disgruntled employees are dissatisfied with their job and are completely unengaged at work. Companies who have employees that are engaged far outperform companies that have employees that are unengaged and disgruntled.
Today, many businesses are recognizing the benefits of investing in creating work cultures conducive to making happy employees. Not only do unhappy employees cause a drain on your company, they also pose a threat to your security and the lives of you and their colleagues.
It can sometimes be difficult to determine if an employee is unhappy. Disengaged workers aren’t always as obvious as you would think, however, there are some warning signs of disgruntled employees. We run down some of the common behaviors of unhappy high risk employees to be on the lookout for.
Warning Signs of a Disgruntled Employee
1. Complete lack of motivation
There are many reasons why an employee may lack motivation on the job and start to do just the bare minimum to get by. They may have problems at home, interpersonal conflicts or they may be feeling stuck in their job and unchallenged.
If you have employees who seem to be completely checked out or doing the absolute bare minimum, you may have a disgruntled employee on your hands.
2. They’re never at their desk
Do you have an employee who is consistently taking long lunches and breaks? Clocking out and immediately dashing out the door? And taking as much sick, vacation and personal time that they can get away with?
If so, these are classic signs of a person who is dissatisfied with their job. Anyone who is avoiding the time spent on the job is unhappy with their career.
3. No close work relationships
Many friendships are built in the office, after all you spend eight or more hours with your coworkers each day. Disgruntled employees usually make no attempt at connecting with coworkers and participating in office bonds.
4. Bad attitude
An unhappy employee can exhibit negative behaviors that range from passive to aggressive in nature. Employees who exhibit abusive behaviors are obviously disgruntled whereas other employees may display less aggressive negative behaviors that can be more difficult to pick up on.
5. Complaints from other employees
If you start getting complaints about the disgruntled individual from their co-workers, it is a clear sign that you have an issue on your hands. While you may not notice an unhappy employees behaviors, those who work closely with them on a daily basis will. If you notice any of the above warning signs in any of your employees, your best course of action is to immediately address the situation.
Disgruntled employees pose a serious security threat to your business thanks to their access to the company, its files, and employees and their motivation to exact revenge. The workplace can be a very emotionally charged environment. Without proper monitoring, a disgruntled employee can cause harm or damage to your company and the people within it.
If you’re looking to fire a high risk employee and need help, contact Fast Guard Service. We assist businesses fire employees by providing armed and unarmed escorting and patrol.