The 5 Most Common Types of Toxic Employees and Why They Can Wreak Havoc on Your Culture

How to deal with a toxic employee before bad behaviors turn into bad habits.

As HR professionals and business leaders, you work hard every day to create a work environment and company culture that drives productivity, boosts engagement, and supports employee happiness. This is critical for running a successful business for the long-term.

No one ever wants to work in a toxic environment—and for good reason. It creates emotional stress, increases apathy, and literally sucks the joy out of the air. That's why its not uncommon for employee turnover to skyrocket in companies where toxicity prevails, regardless of the source: from oppressive managers to team members who don't pull their own weight to abusive senior leaders (and everything else in between). Good work and great results are never a byproduct of a negative work environment. Never.

Here's why this matters as well as why you should care. You've taken the time and used valuable resources to recruit, interview, hire, and train your employees—most of them chosen to fill a specific role because they are the best at what they do. Therefore, its up to you to continue nurturing them to succeed and thrive in the workplace.