How to deal with employees who dont respect you

It is important for the manager to have respect for their employees. It’s just as important for employees to be respectful of their managers. There may come a point in your role as a supervisor where you have an employee who is not respecting you. Having this sort of conflict can not only affect your working relationship with the employee, but the working relationship with other employees and the work that needs to be done.

Addressing this kind of conflict can be uncomfortable for some managers. For others, it may be easier to express how they are feeling towards their employees, but it is important to keep in mind the right and wrong approach to addressing the situation.

One of the first steps before addressing the employee about his/her behavior is to evaluate yourself as a manager. As a leader, this is something you should be doing frequently, a self-check of your own attitudes and behaviors. Think about the way that you would want to be treated as an employee, and evaluate how you, as a manager, accomplish those desired treatments. If you are finding some flaws in your own leadership, it might be best to start changing your actions and see if the employee’s respect for you starts to grow. If it does not, now is a good time to plan a discussion with the employee.

Before approaching the employee with this difficult conversation, developing a plan for your conversation will help prepare you and minimize the emotions during the conversation. First, answer these questions, to yourself, regarding the situation:

• “What are they doing, specifically, that is disrespectful?”
• “Why is this specific behavior disrespectful?”
• “What specific behavior would I like to see instead?”
• “Why is the preferred behavior more respectful?”

Coming into the discussion with these questions answered will help prepare you for initiating the conversation. It’s also important to provide specific examples of the employee’s behavior of how they are being disrespectful. After discussing their specific behaviors that send the message of disrespect, open the conversation up for them to explain why they may be showing these behaviors.

“It is important to keep in mind the right and wrong approach to addressing the situation. ”

There may be an easy explanation as to why they are acting this way and a simple solution for improving their disrespectful actions. Throughout their explanation, refrain from repeating things you already have expressed. They know the reason you are having the discussion, but don’t be afraid to ask questions. They might be afraid to answer the questions truthfully, but ask questions and reassure them it is alright to express their answers honestly (as hard as it might be for you to hear).

Once you have heard the employee speak out about why they are showing this behavior, the discussion still may not be over. The disrespect from the employee could stop, or the issue could continue. Either way, it is time to evaluate the discussion and assess what issues the employee expressed. It would be beneficial to reflect on the ways their issues can be solved. This may mean you re-evaluate yourself as a supervisor, or even assess the company culture as a whole.

Throughout the entire process of approaching an employee who doesn’t respect you, it is important to keep the 10 Keys in mind, specifically Keys 4, 5, and 6.

4.    Expecting Excellence—Setting high expectations for employees.

5.    Requiring Accountability—Upholding and reinforcing individual responsibility to the organization.

6.    Valuing What You Believe—Linking employees’ actions/behaviors to organizational values—building a healthy culture.

By using the 10 Keys and planning out your approach before initiating the conversation, it can make the discussion a little less uncomfortable and will help you work towards improving the respect of the employee.

If you’d like to discuss this topic more, please reach out to us at [email protected] or find us on social media at Rising Sun Consultants.

Employee disrespect is considered as any act type of behavior by the employees which are inappropriate and unethical. It includes many things such as verbal abuse, loud tone, and bullying. This type of behavior is hurtful and can cause stress for other employees who work in an organization. Such employees can be verbally abusive and leave no chance to belittle other employees by pointing out their insecurities and mistakes. Verbal abuse can include harsh or inappropriate language for other employees, especially for junior positions or internees.

Researches have emphasized this topic in the past few years as this employee having such disrespectful attitude are of no use for the organization no matter how experienced or efficient, they are as such behavior affects the overall productivity of a company and such employees can cause great loss. Such disrespectful behavior often leads to serious consequences that affect the overall productivity of an organization and it can badly affect the mental health of employees being treated harshly and rudely.

How to handle Disrespectful Employees in the workplace?

Here are few tips to handle such employees at the workplace but it needs the patience to cope up with such employees. These ways are explained below:

Remain calm and polite

The best way to cope up with such employees is to remain calm and have patience as they are verbally abusive and small arguments can lead to serious fights if you try to argue with them. Remain calm and avoid answering all their questions to avoid arguments. Such employees often trigger other employees’ anger and cause stress and mismanagement in the workplace.

Positive attitude 

Keep a positive attitude for such employees as they are highly negative and always come up with provocative statements and words which cause fights and arguments. To cope up with such employees you have to keep a positive attitude to improve your productivity and maintain a workplace environment.

Disciplinary procedures 

This is also a very important step that you can take to cope up with such employees. In the case of unbearable behavior from such employees, you should report them to authorities that can be HR managers or CEO. This is important as such procedures help them to stop such employees from misbehaving with other employees.

What is Considered Disrespectful Behavior from Employees in the Workplace?

Few acts are included in disrespectful behavior from the employees in the workplace

Gossiping 

This is a very bad act employees usually do in the workplace which creates mismanagement. It includes revealing personal or sensational information of a person behind them. It also includes pointing out other employees’ insecurities and weaknesses behind their backs especially spreading rumors about individuals or the company meant to be stirring or shocking.

Employees Disrespecting by Gossiping about other Employees.

Bullying 

Bullying can be harmful and sometimes can lead to serious consequences. Such employees often bully other employees in the workplace which creates stress and an unpleasant atmosphere. Bullying does include changing deadlines, poor performance ratings, and assigning too much work to employees which automatically demotivates them and decreases their productivity.

A Message for Employees who Disrespect other Employees by Bullying.

Inappropriate Tone 

Disrespectful employees are verbally abusive and they use harsh and inappropriate words for other employees which sparks argument. It includes demeaning and insulting statements, shouting, throwing things while talking, and hostile tone.

An employee is disrespecting by keeping a harsh tone.

How to React to Disrespectful Behavior from Employee?

Here are some of the reactions to the disrespectful behavior of employees

1: Ignorance is the best reaction to such disrespectful behavior as arguments can cause serious consequences such as physical fights, verbal abuse sometimes (like a curse).

2: In case of any such act which is not bearable then report such employees to the authority or discuss with your colleagues so that they can come up with the solutions.

3: Try to write formal mail including managers of such employees and inform them about their disrespectful attitudes.

4: Try to keep a record of their behavior so that you can justify it when you complain about them as such people usually deny and do not accept their mistake.

5: Try to avoid making discussions with such employees as they will start fighting if you do not accept their opinions and they start blaming and disrespecting them.

How to Warn Disrespectful Behavior from Employees?

It is important to handle disrespectful employees for maintaining the workplace discipline. Such employees and their negative traits affect the overall productivity of other employees. Tolerating and ignoring such behavior is not the solution as such disrespectful employee continues to have such behavior because nobody stops them from doing it.

Circumstances 

Try to speak with employees who disrespect (others) by engaging other employees as well. Try to ask them politely, what problem(s) they are facing, and the reason behind their harsh attitude towards other employees. In some cases, such employees also have some kinda mental issues and they have some mental disorders too, due to which they show such attitude.

Document Inappropriate Examples 

Usually, such disrespectful employees do not accept their mistake and try to blame others for their rude and inappropriate behavior. Try to specify their examples of rude and hostile behavior with other employees on different occasions, serious consequences, and disturbance caused by their behavior. Maintain and collect written documentation of specific, recent incidents that you can present against them.

Focus on consequences Rather Than the Behavior of an Employee

Disrespectful behavior should not be tolerated in the workplace as it gives rise to serious consequences such as an unpleasant environment, decreased productivity, and inefficient performance of employees. While confronting such employees (who disrespect) you have to explain to them the consequences of their behavior on other employees.

How Employee Disrespectful Behavior Impacts Other Employees?

Disrespectful employees are very toxic as they are likely to have a great impact on other employees. Such employees not only disturb the overall productivity of an organization but also affects the mental health of other employees. Such behavior has real and serious consequences attached to it and employees who face such an attitude report lower engagement and suffer from physical and mental health issues as they are not appreciated and face verbal abuse daily while performing their tasks. Such employees who face disrespectful attitude usually plan to switch their jobs (which is a loss to the organization) rather than facing such negative attitudes at the workplace. Mostly employees face exclusion and interrupting and their work is being rejected to demotivate them (if the disrespectful employee is his/her senior).

8 Strong Quotes About Disrespect

1. “Disrespect is the Weapon of the Weak” ― Alice Miller.

2. “If you Accept their Disrespect, They Won’t Respect you” ― Sonya Parker.

3. “Throughout Life People Will make you Mad, Disrespect you and Treat you Bad. Let God deal with the things they do, cause Hate in your Heart will consume you too” ― Will Smith.

4. “Stay Away from Negative People. They Have a Problem for Every Solution” ― Albert Einstein.

5. “Rudeness is a Weak Imitation of Strength” ― Eric Hoffer.

6. “Don’t Let Someone Get Comfortable Disrespecting You” ― Anonymous.

7. “You Can’t Force a Person to Show you Respect, but you can Refuse to be Disrespected” ― Anonymous.

8. “People Treat you with as much, or as Little Respect as you Allow Them to” ― Rachel Hollis

How to Help/Coach a Disrespectful Employee? (5 Strategies)

Some of the strategies you can make to help such disrespectful employees are as follow:

Be a Good Role Model

How you treat people can have a great impact on other employees. If you choose to be a role model for every employee then you can help such disrespectful employees to adopt your attitude so that they can treat other employees respectfully (the same way) and via this, you can help out such disrespectful employees. You can prevent such attitude only by setting a good example in front of others and showing positive and good traits to disrespectful employees so that they change their attitudes towards other employees. Traits like empathy, integrity, self-control, and appreciation should be promoted in the workplace to maintain discipline and peace in a workplace which will help employees to work effectively and efficiently for the growth of an organization.

By not Ignoring their Disrespectful Behavior 

Ignoring such behavior can make the situation even worst and the culprit thinks that his or her behavior is right and nobody questions him/her on such an attitude. You can help such people by talking to them or reporting them to authorities so that they can work to change their attitude towards other employees. This can help you maintain discipline in the workplace. You should go talk to them politely and request them to stop behaving rudely and inappropriately.

Direct Dealing with the Employees who Disrespect

Never confront such employees in front of everyone as sometimes they have ego issues too, and their anger can go uncontrollable (resulting in termination). Try to talk to them privately and stay calm while talking to them to explain your point of view and their mistakes. Do try to explain the consequences of their behavior directly to them and advise them to change their behavior or work to make it respectful towards other employees. Make your points clear that how his or her hostile behavior is creating trouble for other employees and affecting their work, inner peace & mental & physical health.

Try to Listen to Disrespectful Employees 

Some people do face anger issues at the workplace due to any reason and once their anger is triggered their behavior goes disrespectful towards other employees, so try to ask them the reasons on which they usually get angry to maintain peace and discipline. If they are willing to cooperate then do try to talk to other employees to avoid such reasons on which their anger is usually triggered. Good teamwork and cooperation can help disrespectful employees to overcome their anger and mood issues (if they have any) which is beneficial for both the employee and the firm in which they are working.

Follow Up on Disrespectful Behavior of an Employee

This is the best way to help such employees as they are habitual of disrespecting other employees and it becomes difficult to control their behavior. You can help them by taking follow up on their behavior in working hours. They should be pointed out for verbally abusing or disrespecting an employee right at the moment they are doing that so that they can work to not to repeat their behavior next time. Try to tell them politely three to four times but still if they repeat such behavior, then confront them and report them to HR or CEO so that they can further assist you to tackle such employees.

By using different mediums, try to point out their mistake and disrespectful behavior and warn them not to repeat their disrespectful behavior next time at the workplace. Do set behavior standards for them and do notice whether they follow them or not. If they are still not changing their attitude towards other employees, then report them to authorities again and again. Do take help from the HR department and try to write a formal mail to such employees to change their behavior for maintaining discipline in an organization.

Respectful/Appropriate Employee Behaviors at the Workplace

Respect is an important factor in any workplace and all the employees should be equally respected and their efforts and hard work should be appreciated to motivate and encourage them. Such workplaces are easy to maintain where all the employees are treated with respect and kindness. Some of the behaviors at the workplace that should be adopted by the employees are listed below.

1: Treating other employees with kindness, politeness, and courtesy.

2: Motivating and encouraging all the employees to share their opinion or ideas during the meeting so that they can work effectively.

3: Not intercepting other employees while they share their ideas and opinions in the meeting. Letting them sharing their opinion and respecting their ideas.

4: Stop making assumptions and try to interact with employees regarding their lacking and weaknesses.

5: Try to bring good ideas by new or less experienced employees to motivate and encourage them that their ideas are good enough to implement. This will help them to learn, grow, and work effectively.

6: Never insult, belittle, or degrade an employee on their work performance. Do not promote name-calling, bullying, and gossiping in the workplace and confront them who do so.

7: Do not constantly judge or criticize an employee to show your efficiency and appreciate others’ efforts and hard work. Constantly criticizing an employee on their work can lead to serious consequences which include sleep deprivation, lack of self-confidence, and demotivated behavior.

8: Beware of body language, the tone of voice, and your demeanor and expression in all of your interactions at work. People hear what you’re saying in addition to listening to your words.
9: Interact with employees and correct their mistakes. Try to teach employees if they are lacking in any of the skills and expertise for the growth of an organization. Try to keep a check on other employee behavior and do not ignore injustice and disrespectful behavior by other employees and in case you see any such case around try to report them to HR.

10: Treat employees equally and fairly. Highly experienced employees should not be allowed to belittle new employees or internees at the workplace. Inequality can lead to discrimination, harassment, and a hostile work environment.

Be appreciative and try to motivate employees by sending encouragement or appreciation mail on their work to motivate them to perform well in the future. It can also include recognition certificates distribution among employees who perform well and worked hard for the organization.

When to Write-up employee for Disrespectful Behavior

In many organizations a formal write-up is been signed by an employee after their disrespectful behavior with other employees, managers domestic staff members, or bosses. This is important, as write-up has some clauses on which employees agree and sign to not to repeat disrespectful behavior in the organization. It is considered a serious warning and after that, if they keep disrespecting other employees, they should be fired on an immediate basis from the organization to maintain discipline and decorum. Having an employee write-up form is a great start to properly dealing with discipline issues, and if this is the final written warning, potentially with termination from the job, then such employees will definitely try to change their behavior for sake of their job. The employee disciplinary action form is often the first piece of evidence asked for in any employment dispute.

Firing an Employee for Disrespectful Behavior

After giving several warnings it is the right of every organization to terminate a negative and disrespectful employee to maintain discipline & to preserve the integrity of the workplace. Such employees should be terminated as their behavior can also affect organization reputation. It is the responsibility of the management and other employees to help and report such employees but still, if they are not willing to change their behavior then they should be immediately terminated. Allowing bad behavior to continue after warnings sets a bad example and hurt the morale of an organization.

What are signs of disrespect in the workplace?

What to do when you feel disrespected at work?

What do you say to a disrespectful employee?

How do you lead a team that doesn't respect you?