Do you know the secret that will make you the most valuable employee at work? In a professional environment, there is no universal formula that guarantees success, but there are recommendations from experts that will help you become an indispensable and most valuable personnel.

Follow the company's success

If the company conducted successful year, its employees will also prosper. This suggests that your work is bringing tangible results, so you need to continue moving along your chosen trajectory. According to Pavel Felzen, president of an insurance company in New Jersey, if your activities are bearing fruit, there is no need to complicate your life by looking for new methods.

Stop surfing the Internet

You're lucky if your working Internet gives you the opportunity to order a gift for your daughter's birthday or view a timeline of events on a social network. But still do it in work time unprofessional. It is unlikely that the boss will be happy with his employees aimlessly surfing the Internet. The management expects the project to be delivered on time and an efficient work regime. Nobody wants to pay money for downtime or your travels in cyberspace.

Try to solve the problem yourself

Marketing and communications manager Julia Dellitt complains that her subordinates are not used to handling complex tasks on their own. They come up asking for help, but don’t even try to figure out the issue. Sometimes this behavior comes from a feeling of insecurity or fear of slipping up, but often behind this behavior there is banal laziness.

Expand your professional credentials

Consider how you can expand your professional credentials. If your company is running some interesting projects outside of work hours, express your interest in becoming a volunteer. Find out how you can join a group or participate in a brainstorming session. Any creative work will show the manager your best qualities. Know that this extra effort will not go unnoticed.

Stop apologizing

Many people apologize out of politeness, but, in essence, they are not to blame for anything. If this habit is ingrained in your professional environment, it will interfere with the creation of a favorable image. Initially, your intentions were good, and polite words helped avoid a rude and aggressive image. However, too many apologies make you appear soft and compliant. The professional environment favors risky individuals.

Don't think only about yourself

Your office should not be built around you, even if you consider yourself the most competent professional. Before you make any statement, try to imagine yourself in the place of your interlocutor. Nonprofit executive director Christina Hartman advises figuring out how you can be helpful to other employees. The mantra of mutual help will help you achieve success faster than many other methods.

Be proud of your achievements

Everything that happens in your workplace is achieved through hard and painstaking work. You contribute to success, so make sure that contribution is tangible. Don't be content with little - become a champion in your industry.

Build a professional network

Building an extensive professional network will help you build your own career. It is also important for increasing sales and growth of your company. Set a goal of making 10 new partnerships every year. The same applies to building a customer base.

Create a buffer between thoughts and actions

When there is a lot of work to do, there is no time to stop and analyze the progress of tasks, there is no time to rethink global values. Ideally, you want to create space between your thoughts and your actions. This will save you from making impulsive decisions and prevent most of the mistakes. Entrepreneur and author Jason Harber says rushed judgments lead to unforced errors: "Sometimes it's better to think and then act, even if that principle forces you to slow down."

Be open to new experiences

Happiness is not a reflection of the actual state of affairs, but what you can take out of this situation. Be open to new experiences, look for opportunities to take on new responsibilities, take part in new projects, seek out new mentors. Use your organization as a stepping stone to achieve something great.

Focus on quality, not quantity

In the workplace, your performance is assessed by your boss. It so happens that modern enterprises are primarily focused on multitasking. The manager requires the repairman to be a jack of all trades and assigns several projects to work on simultaneously. Select the most important assignments from this entire string, focus on a few key tasks. Do not take on all the tasks at once; among them there may be very insignificant ones - those that will not bring bonus points to your professional piggy bank.

Make plans for the year ahead

Think about what you want to achieve professionally in the coming year. If you have been planning to search for a long time new job, get a mentor or expand your client base, you shouldn’t put it off indefinitely. You can start having lunch with colleagues, attending office parties, and opening up about your personal life. All this will make you one of the most popular members of the team. And if you want to get promoted by the end of next year, develop a strategic plan and stick to it.

Accept the changes

Whether you like it or not, you will have to deal with changes in the workplace. Scientific and technological progress is moving forward by leaps and bounds, introducing new requirements into professional activities. Manager Ashley Roos complains that not all of his employees are ready to challenge the constantly changing conditions. It's much easier to do the same tasks day after day while sitting at your desk from nine to five. Treat new products as a unique chance to challenge your colleagues and prove yourself with the best side. Use all these changes to your advantage. When your boss notices that you are resilient and adaptable, he will know that you are a prime candidate for a promotion.

Get back to learning

As employers place more and more demands on their employees, the only way meeting all these conditions is the opportunity to return to training. Find continuing education courses with a certificate that will help you advance your career. The knowledge gained during training will give you the opportunity to expand your role in the team, gain the respect of your colleagues and additional privileges from your superiors. You may also consider getting higher education in one of the related specialties. As a result, you can truly become one of the most indispensable employees in the company.

Don't be afraid to ask questions

The desire to ask for help is not a sign of weakness or unskilledness of the employee. Ask questions and ask for clarification if you need guidance. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been working in this position, but it’s better to ask once about what you’re not sure about than to embarrass yourself later for your mistakes.

Leeds described the four most common types of problematic colleagues in the book “ Full order. A weekly plan for dealing with chaos at work, at home and in your head.” The communication strategy that will help you get along with him depends on who the employee is annoying you. Or simply protect yourself from its “harmfulness”.

Skeptic

He doesn’t believe in anything or anyone, and especially not in your good endeavors. But the most disgusting quality of a Skeptic is that he will never be too lazy to tell you about his doubts, and even publicly, with a chuckle and obvious pleasure.

“In the office, the Skeptic will constantly say that your efforts will lead to nothing. This is the same person for whom the glass is never half full - it is always half empty. If a Skeptic sees that you are trying to organize your workplace, he may even set up a bet and take bets on how long your new order will last.”

And it would be okay, he just bothered his ear every day: in the end, you can train your attention so that it turns off, and the brain filters this incoming information. But listening to the mantra “You will never succeed”, “You will never be promoted”, etc. you can truly believe that you are doomed to fail. And with such an attitude, nothing will happen to you except chronic depression.

How to act. To begin with, realize that the Skeptic behaves this way not because of great intelligence and the ability to predict the future. Simply, this person is not confident in his abilities and is very afraid of failures, and in order to live more calmly, he transfers his complexes to everyone around him. That is, when he snorts contemptuously and says that you will never deliver the project on time, he rather convinces himself of this, not you. In general, come to the conclusion that your “monster” is actually just a weak, complex person. After this, you yourself will not notice how you will begin to let all his comments fall on deaf ears.

smart ass

Each of us likes to be clever sometimes, but some simply have a pathological need to present themselves as better than others. Every single day, Smart Guy tries to boast about one thing or another, emphasize his even the most insignificant superiority and constantly asks for compliments, which you, as a tactful person, simply cannot refuse him. As Leeds writes, “He should be doing better than you. Did you set a sales record last month? Great, but he sold more. Do you like this book? He has better. And so on".

How to act. Just like the Skeptic, such a person deserves only pity. If he needs constant confirmation that he is worthy of something, then he is deeply unhappy and unsure of himself.

Dictator

All of a sudden you have another, self-proclaimed boss? Happens. Everyone possible ways this person will try to impose his methods of doing work on you, because he considers them the only correct ones, and everything else for him is heresy. Even if you produce the required result within the established time frame, but at the same time “come from the other side,” the Dictator will ridicule you in every possible way and will remain in the opinion that he knows your work better.

How to act. If the Dictator's claims to power are not confirmed staffing table, listen to him the same way as Smarty, and do it your way. It's much easier and less traumatic for your nervous system how to try to convince him that you are right.

If your actual boss turns out to be the Dictator, you will have to reluctantly do as he wants. Gradually you will win his trust and recognition that you also have at least a drop of intelligence. And after that, you can carefully try your own methods, asking permission from your boss in advance. A dictatorial boss likes to be in the know, so if you do something—even something good—behind his back, it will really piss him off.

Scoundrel

A typical manifestation of “office” meanness is the theft of ideas (merits, achievements, etc.) in order to later pass them off as one’s own. Usually a person who is capable of this tries to gain the trust of everyone in the team, everyone likes him and adores everyone, but he probably talks all sorts of nasty things behind his back. Scoundrels can also be classified as gossips - but not simple talkers, but those who use personal information for career purposes - sticklers (they like to ride on someone else's hump) and sneakers who will not miss the opportunity to report to their superiors that you are 5 minutes late.

How to act. It makes no sense to create a scandal and enter into a public confrontation with the Scoundrel. Most likely, his cunning and ability to suck up to his superiors will help him get away with it, and in the worst case, also make you look like a fool. If the importance and scale of the idea stolen from you is insignificant and the Scoundrel’s “merit” will be forgotten the very next day, it is better to remain silent altogether and just remember that you should not be frank with this person. If we are talking about long-term strategy, direction advertising company, brand concept, etc., it is worth discussing the situation personally with your immediate superior, and not in the tone of a complaint, but asking for advice. Still, they don’t really like sneaks either.

All adults spend most of their time at work, or father-in-law in the team. Often our workplace becomes our home, and we often have to communicate with employees and colleagues much more often than even with the closest family members. It is clear that in view of such constant and long-term personal interaction, the possibility of the emergence of a wide variety of conflict situations that can really turn life into a real nightmare is not excluded. And the work you love, to which you devoted yourself completely, may no longer bring that joy at all; a quarrel can even overshadow the joy from serious successes and achievements. Conflicts at work are a fairly common occurrence, so it’s worth figuring out how to behave in order to prevent this from happening, and if the problem cannot be avoided, how to get out of it with honor and maintain good friendly relations with employees.

Path of least resistance: relationships with work colleagues happen different

Conflict situations in the workplace, as the saying goes official statistics, arise quite often, and it happens that it is hardly possible to stop the cause of the conflict, and also, as is understandable, its consequences immediately. All people in the world are different and it is not at all surprising that the reaction to communication with some is fundamentally different from the reaction to others. Good and friendly relations with colleagues are a delicate and unreliable path that you need to learn in order to make your life and work as comfortable and enjoyable as possible.

Need to know

World famous psychologists are still inclined to think that the ability to get along well with people is a special gift that you can develop yourself, and your future career, and, consequently, your destiny may well depend on it.

However, many people think that relationships at work with colleagues should be built in such a way as to avoid any tense topics, and skillfully maneuver between the icebergs of human misunderstanding, or even worse, but such an opinion is wrong. The thing is that sometimes clarifying relationships, and maybe even work issues, simply requires conflict, and avoiding it is not at all a way out of a difficult situation. It is extremely important to be able to distinguish a situation when it is worth walking away from a quarrel, and when it is possible and even necessary to enter into a confrontation with colleagues and co-workers.

This is precisely where the whole solution to the problem lies, and it is worth understanding that your attitude towards a person should be clearly differentiated and determined whether it is destructive or constructive. If you are angry about inappropriate hair color, nationality, age, nose length or foot size, then you should realize that your complaints have no basis in reality.

At work, you are not obliged to communicate with anyone, for any reason, except for work issues, so this is just the first thing you should understand for yourself. You definitely don’t owe anyone anything, but your colleagues also have exactly the same rights so that you do not dictate your own opinion, worldview to them, and in general, they are also not obligated to smile at you. Conflict at work between women can have particularly harmful consequences. , after all, no one expects anything from them serious problems, and reconciling angry representatives of the fair sex is much more difficult than men.

First things first: how to avoid conflict at work with colleagues

Doctors can confirm that it is much easier to take preventive measures and prevent a disease than to treat it later, and the psychology of relationships in a team is also a branch of medicine. Therefore, the optimal solution for any person would be such a model of behavior at work, when conflicts can be avoided as much as possible. Moreover, there is nothing overly complicated about this at all, so let’s figure out how to avoid conflicts at work and make your life much easier and more enjoyable.

• It’s worth making sure that you really enjoy your work and that it brings you joy and satisfaction. Often, quarrels and swearing arise precisely where people are simply busy with something other than their own business; they may not be satisfied with the absence career growth, unsatisfactory wage, and so on. Therefore, even at the employment stage, you need to find out all the details, and in addition, it won’t hurt to get to know your future colleagues.
• You should never think that the only correct point of view is your own. Even if you are definitely a highly professional specialist and know exactly what’s what, be prepared to listen to various points of view, perhaps they will find a rational grain worthy of undoubted attention. This is especially true when your colleagues’ opinions are radically different from yours. If there is a conflict at work with a colleague on professional issues, then it can be perceived as a work dispute and a search for optimal solutions, nothing more.
• It is imperative to thoroughly understand the range of your responsibilities, which are dictated by your job description. True, it is not at all impossible that you will have to help someone with something, or carry out the boss’s personal directives, but you should never be allowed to sit on your own head.
• When demanding something from people, do not forget that you yourself must meet your own high criteria. That is, under no circumstances should problems with a colleague at work be resolved by rudeness, rudeness, nagging, and so on.
• There is one more rule, which we voiced last here, but it is very important, so you cannot lose sight of it. Idle gossip, slander and talking behind your back are exactly what you should never take part in. Immediately put in your place everyone who is trying to unsettle you by telling lies about your colleagues, and then this problem will go away by itself, or rather, simply will not arise.

What to do, if there is a conflict with a colleague at work: conspiracy or paranoia

It is clear that it also happens that conflict and tense situations simply cannot be avoided, and sometimes we simply look for help even when the quarrel has matured and is about to crack or grow to the scale of a thermonuclear attack. To understand how to get out of a conflict at work in such a situation, you should think ten times, because it’s very easy to ruin everything, and whether something will be restored later is not at all known. Often the conflict ends in simple alienation and reduction of communication to the solution of purely business issues, and this is the most optimal way out. But in the most serious situations, they may begin to rudely and even set you up, and then you will definitely have to do something to get out of the problem with honor.

1. Never and under no circumstances can problems with colleagues at work be resolved by swearing, shouting and rudeness in response to such behavior. You should not get involved in a quarrel, yell or wave your arms. A cold and distant response will be enough, and you will not lose face, and your offender will most likely be confused, because all his behavior is aimed at causing an emotional outburst in you.

• If it was not possible to avoid an open quarrel in public, then “sucking up” the details after the fact with colleagues is strictly not recommended. There is no need for this lengthy washing of the seeds, since it will not benefit anyone at all.
• There is no need to be afraid to talk about the current situation with direct management. However, this is a way out of the most difficult conflicts, when you are openly set up, bullied, and so on.

Worth remembering

For those who work in large companies, you need to know that specifically for resolving conflicts in the team, there is a special service called compliance. Just find out if you have something similar at work and feel free to apply there.

Lessons from professionals: how to survive in a team and remain yourself

However, it also happens that conflict situations can arise not only with colleagues. It is much more difficult to understand how to resolve a conflict at work if your opponent is also a boss or direct manager. The situation is aggravated by the fact that your personal career, professional growth, and so on may depend on this person. First of all, you should understand that you cannot shout back, throw accusations in your face, or swear.

Silently listen to the tirade to the end, and then quietly leave, closing the door behind you. Left alone, it’s worth thinking about whether the manager’s accusations are groundless? Maybe you really should reconsider your own attitude towards work? Before figuring out how to resolve a conflict at work with your superiors, you need to think ten times about who is right and who is wrong. It will not be difficult to distinguish the signs of a constructive conflict, but anything that goes beyond this is nit-picking.

• Only yours can be discussed professional activity, but not appearance, moral character, Family status, nationality and so on.
• If you have repeatedly received comments on the same issue, then there is a rational grain in this, right?
• Other colleagues often express dissatisfaction with your work, skills, and actions.
• The boss prefers to scold and reprimand for misconduct in a closed office, and not in front of all his colleagues.
• The manager openly points out that your actions or decisions and actions negatively affect the activities of the entire company or enterprise.

How to resolve conflict at work with direct guidance

If, upon closer examination and analysis of the situation with your superiors, you realized that, by and large, you still have at least some of the blame, then you should think about correcting it as soon as possible own mistakes. However, it happens that the director simply did not like you, and he begins to find fault. Then it will be very difficult to get out alive and healthy, figuratively speaking, of course, and get by with little blood. How can you understand that you are being “persecuted” intentionally and undeservedly?

• Not only your professional activities are subjected to constant destructive criticism, but also your personal qualities, appearance, nationality, age, gender, and so on.
• You regularly hear reproaches and reproaches, and on the most insignificant, and generally not related to work issues.
• If the manager raises his voice, he is not at all embarrassed by the presence of other colleagues.
• When you ask to point out errors, but specific wording you don't get it.

Exit with honor similar situation It can be unbearably difficult, and it may well happen that you simply have to go looking for a new job. This option cannot be discounted, but you shouldn’t endure endless nagging and undeserved accusations for the sake of a decent salary, otherwise life could turn into real hell, and this is not an option at all.

Never yell back, your aggression will cause a response explosion of emotions, even more powerful and destructive. Finally, I would like to repeat the words of one famous cartoon character, who believed that the most important thing is calmness, and only calmness! Never lose face, this is important, both for your relationship at work, and for your own psychological, and mental health along with it.

Sitting at work is an extremely unpleasant thing. Especially if they are trying to hook you up. In general, what is hooking? This is an attempt to take someone else’s position, and is by no means honestly applying for it and openly declaring one’s intentions. The applicant uses dishonest methods of struggle: he tries to discredit a colleague or boss in the eyes of other employees or senior management. How to deal with an ill-wisher?

What are the reasons for slacking at work?

There may be several reasons why they may want to “move” you from your position. Most often, the main motive is envy. Some of your colleagues may think that your salary is much higher than their own or that your working conditions are much more favorable. For example, envious people may think that your work requires less physical, intellectual or emotional effort.

Another common reason is simply jealousy of your position. Someone may simply feel offended because, for example, you were appointed head of the department and not him. Hooking is a very common and almost universal process. It is typical for any organizations in which there is a hierarchical system: in government agencies, large and small commercial companies, educational institutions, cultural institutions, etc.

At the same time, stalking can be completely purposeful, when a person consciously sets his sights on your position and tries by all means to achieve his goal, and also unconsciously, when a person is able to natural features character simply needs to constantly compete with someone. The second scenario, by the way, is even more likely, because much more often people begin to be active at work simply because of the need to somehow assert themselves and relieve boredom, and not because of a desire to harm one of their colleagues.

By the way, ladies hook each other up much more often. Men most often openly declare their claims to a particular position. But women like to weave a web of intrigue and masterfully stage entire performances. So it is much more difficult to expose them. But it is still possible. So how can you tell if you're being scammed?

The main signs of hooking

1. For no apparent reason, your colleagues have become less talkative. And if they enter into dialogue with you, they speak very carefully and dryly. This may indicate that someone is setting the team against you.

2. One of your colleagues very often began to “quite by accident” mention your mistakes to his superiors. At the same time, he doesn’t tell you anything about it personally. His memory “sharpens” only during meetings or planning meetings with the director.

3. There are more and more cases when important information about work is constantly “forgot” to be conveyed to you. But one of my colleagues shows amazing awareness.

4. The boss, in some mysterious way, constantly finds himself aware of things that he should not know and which were known only to the employees of your department.

5. Often, important documents begin to disappear from your desk, and necessary files are always erased from your work computer. If such cases suddenly start happening to you all the time, it may not be a problem with memory or attention. There is a chance that someone just wants to make you look absent-minded, irresponsible and lazy in front of your superiors.

6. Another very clear sign is the obvious fawning of one of the employees. He literally “looks into the mouth” of his boss, agrees with all his ideas and constantly tries to serve him.

7. And finally, you should be wary if there is an ambitious employee in your department with similar qualifications to you who has not received a promotion for a long time.

What to do?

First of all, don't panic. After all, trying to hustle at work does not mean that you will certainly be fired. If you get nervous and start making mistakes, it will only benefit your opponent. So continue to work calmly and collectedly.

However, try to analyze your shortcomings and mistakes and try to correct them. The fewer weak points you have, the more likely it is that a colleague who wants to help you will fail. If you are convinced that you are really being scammed, start taking action. However, in fighting an opponent with his own means, that is, with the help of intrigue, gossip and small dirty tricks may be dangerous. You may end up losing and ruining your reputation.

Therefore, before rushing into battle, you should probe the ground.

1. First of all, think: is it really worth spending your energy fighting for a place in this company? Do you have any career prospects here? Perhaps there are more interesting and worthwhile proposals?

2. Find out what motivates the colleague who decided to sit on you: simply dislike for you and the desire to spoil your nerves, or the intention to get you fired at any cost.

3. Find out how your boss treats you. If there are no complaints against you as an employee, and in purely human terms you are satisfactory to the director, then it will be quite difficult for your opponent to shake your position. If the relationship with the manager is not so cloudless, all the slander against you will find a lively response.

4. What is the reason that I’m not picking on someone else, but you? There may be two options here. Option one: you are an excellent specialist who copes well with your job responsibilities, and your success will not allow an envious person to advance up the career ladder. Option two: you relaxed and started working half-heartedly, and your colleague did not fail to take advantage of this.

What definitely won't help you?

Some methods of dealing with an ill-wisher may not only not alleviate the situation, but will only force you to dig a deeper hole for yourself. So, what should you never do?

Snitching. Even if your competitor acts ugly and unfair towards you, don’t even think about complaining to your boss. Firstly, all your fuss may be completely indifferent to him. Secondly, you will gain a reputation as an informer. And finally, the inability to solve problems on your own will make you look like a weakling, and a logical question will arise: do you really occupy your position by right?

Merciless revenge. It’s also not worth fighting with the same means as your opponent. Firstly, if your conflict reaches management, they will not be able to figure out who is the persecutor and who is the victim. With the right skill, your ill-wisher can present himself as the lamb of God, and you as the aggressor. In addition, if you also stoop to meanness, you will essentially give your opponent carte blanche for further antics.

Undertake too much. Some people try to get rid of their stalker by proving their professionalism. They take on the most difficult tasks and almost impossible plans. This method is dangerous because sooner or later the enormous amount of work will break you. Or, if you try to jump in over your head, you will fail to the delight of your competitor.

Active actions

Technique 1. Initiative worker. If a colleague who is poisoning your life has already turned almost everyone against you, you should not waste your energy on sorting things out with them or trying to restore your reputation. Come up with a few constructive ideas and rational proposals and go to the “most important” boss. As soon as you get to the audience, start a conversation about the fact that you have been sitting too long, and, meanwhile, you have a whole sea of ​​​​creative ideas and plans. Showcase your best side, show what a qualified specialist and enthusiast you are. Bosses love this, especially if you, being an altruist, do not demand a salary increase for your ideas and suggestions.

Technique 2. I see nothing - I hear nothing.
Do not react in any way to sabotage that your opponent is organizing. If the enemy sees that his antics do not bother you at all and do not take you out of peace of mind, he will most likely leave you alone soon. The main thing for you now is to concentrate on your work and show consistently high performance. At the same time, it is especially worth emphasizing your successes in front of your boss. This neutralizes the pressure of your opponent, who will probably report to your manager about the mistakes you have made.

If you are absolutely sure that you are being reported, it’s time to stop these attempts:

Technique 3. Add yours to the board. If you are a cheerful person who easily connects with people, try to become the life of the party, a kind of social entertainer who tirelessly cares about the common good. It will be extremely difficult to eliminate the darling of the entire department.

If you can’t “own the audience”, Try to establish warm, trusting relationships with each colleague individually.

Technique 4. Top Secret. A competitor will be able to trip you up only if he perfectly understands what your responsibilities are and knows what you are working on at one time or another. Therefore, try to devote as little as possible to other employees in the details of your activities, do not chat about your plans and be sure to set passwords on your work computer and all important files. Do not leave open windows browser or Internet messengers. Who knows how unprincipled your ill-wisher will be...

Technique 5. Castling. If you no longer have the strength to fight your opponent, but you don’t want to quit, try changing your field of activity, moving to another department or to another project. This will allow you to move away from your pursuer to a safe distance, or even completely deprive him of the opportunity to influence you.

Well, and finally, some more tips on how to resist office intrigue:

It is possible and necessary to combat being stuck at work. However, in this fight the main thing is not to sink to the level of your opponent and not to lose your dignity.

An employee who constantly ridicules more timid co-workers, discussing privacy management or colleagues, feels great in a team. The same cannot be said about other representatives of the company and especially about the manager of this employee. Such people are said to have an “evil tongue.” Is it worth fighting " with evil tongues» in a team, for what and by what methods? These are the topics of our article.

“Evil tongues” - harmful or good for business?

In the article, we will understand by “evil tongues” actions and expressions taken by individual members of the team in relation to others, aimed at their unfounded and unconstructive criticism, discussion of their qualities and lifestyle, entailing negative consequences for the psychological atmosphere in the team.

The harmful effects of “evil tongues” can manifest themselves in different ways. For example:

• frequent occurrence of feelings of resentment among employees at whom caustic remarks were directed;
• manifestation of antagonism between team members;
• destruction of a cohesive work team;
• spontaneous formation of unplanned and unapproved competitive qualities in individual team members;
• reluctance to work in an environment where there are slanderous employees, and, as a result, increased staff turnover;
• the disappearance of such company-accepted phenomena as mutual assistance, assistance and mentoring.

All of these consequences that occurred as a result of the appearance of “evil tongues” in the team indicate an unhealthy situation in the organization, which negatively affects both the work process and its result. How can we combat this phenomenon and can it be eradicated altogether?

To combat “evil tongues” there are two groups of measures: psychological and legal.

Psychological countermeasures

• public censure of the behavior of employees who spread gossip;
• sharp suppression of intrigues in the team;
• the slanderers fell from grace with the management;
• ignoring the merits of an employee with an “evil tongue”;
• lack of offers from management for career advancement or additional education;
• increased attention to quality workmanship job responsibilities gossiper, etc.

However, as practice shows, these measures do not lead to success in eradicating the phenomenon of “evil tongues” in a team without the use of legal methods of struggle.

Legal methods of struggle

The concept of legal methods of struggle includes all types of disciplinary measures provided for in Art. 192 Labor Code of the Russian Federation. This is a reprimand, reprimand and dismissal. And here the question arises: is it possible to punish an employee for spreading gossip and inciting intrigue? After all, this cannot be considered a violation of discipline! Let's figure out how legal measures can be used to combat this phenomenon.

To learn how to establish a smoking ban and dress code rules, read the article “Dress code and smoking ban: we establish and punish for violation” in magazine No. 6’ 2012

We announce a remark

Employers need to remember that a reprimand can be declared if the following components are present in combination:

1. The organization must be accepted and approved in accordance with labor legislation An Ethics Statement or Code of Conduct that expressly sets out the relevant responsibilities of the employee, for example:
   • be polite to company clients and colleagues;
   • do not allow humiliation of honor and dignity when communicating with them;
   • not to commit actions that could provoke a scandal or non-competitive struggle within the team;
   • always evaluate and guide your behavior in order to maintain the company’s image and a favorable psychological environment in the team;
   • avoid conflicts among colleagues on non-work issues;
   • When solving a controversial problem related to disagreements at work, use only methods acceptable in the company: negotiations, written correspondence, discussion at a conference.
2. The job description and employment contract must reflect the employee’s obligation to comply with the employer’s local regulations. Direct references can be made to the Ethics Regulations and other acts, or a general indication only of the obligation to comply with all local acts, whatever they may be, can be left.
3. With the Regulations on Ethics (other local acts providing for the style and boundaries of employee behavior), job description the employee must be familiarized with a personal signature.
4. Cases of insulting colleagues or inciting a scandal in the workplace or spreading gossip must be recorded in accordance with the requirements of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation. For example, an act. This document must describe in detail the behavior of the slanderer, from which the investigation commission will be able to conclude that he violated discipline (official duties and requirements of local regulations).
5. The actions of the perpetrator were stopped, there were no negative consequences for the situation in the team or the external image of the company, the violation was insignificant. In this case, the employer can choose a penalty in the form of a reprimand that is adequate to the violation.
6. To apply punishment in the form of a remark, the usual procedure for bringing to disciplinary liability is carried out, provided for in Art. 193 Labor Code of the Russian Federation.

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Keep in mind that the court, when considering disputes about penalties for interpersonal conflicts in a team, may begin to be guided by the position of the European Court, according to which holding the applicant accountable and disciplinary action for expressing a critical opinion are treated as .

We reprimand

A reprimand can be issued under the same conditions as a reprimand. However, an unsightly act must have more significant consequences for the employer, for example, a scandal, a fight in the office, dismissal good specialist, customer dissatisfaction or complaints. Thus, for the adequacy of the application of a more severe punishment in the form of a reprimand, the following is necessary:

1. Malicious behavior (not the first time he has been punished for “evil language”).
2. Lack of awareness of the wrongness and unethicality of one’s behavior.
3. The employee making insults against colleagues and clients, rather than just making caustic but completely harmless remarks.
4. Negative consequences of an action. Moreover, in this case, the employer should establish a cause-and-effect relationship between the employee’s statements and the negative consequences that occurred.
5. Not only generally accepted norms of morality and behavior must be violated, but also the norms of the employer’s local regulations (Code of Corporate Ethics, for example), i.e. the employee’s violation of discipline must be documented (similar to the previous paragraph).

Bringing an employee to disciplinary liability is carried out in the same manner as when announcing a reprimand (i.e. in accordance with Article 193 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation). It must be remembered that the employee will most likely decide to challenge the order of punishment, especially if it was announced for such an “incomprehensible” violation of discipline such as spreading gossip, starting a scandal, or interpersonal conflicts in the team, and will (or may lead) to dismissal in the future. And the court does not always recognize that the employer is right, both on formal grounds (failure to comply with the procedure for bringing to disciplinary liability, for example), and in essence, without finding a violation of norms of conduct in the employee’s actions.

Arbitrage practice

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The plaintiff appealed to the court with a demand to recognize the order to impose disciplinary liability issued by the employer, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, as unfounded and illegal. This order reprimanded her with the wording “for violating the requirements of Art. 2 Codes professional ethics an employee of the internal affairs bodies of the Russian Federation, approved by order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia dated December 24, 2008 No. 1138, regarding non-compliance with the principles, norms and rules of conduct established by the Code, which is the moral duty of every employee of the internal affairs bodies, regardless of their position; violation of the requirements of paragraph 4 of Art. 15 of the said Code, causing harm to the moral and psychological climate in the team, including: discussion of orders, decisions and actions of senior superiors, implemented within the limits of their powers; spreading rumors, gossip and other unverified information of a dubious nature and misleading the leadership of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Karachay-Cherkess Republic.” The plaintiff did not agree with the order; she believed that she had not committed any actions that led to a violation of the requirements of the Code of Professional Ethics for Internal Affairs Officers.

The court, having studied the materials of the official audit underlying the order, found that they did not lead to an unambiguous conclusion about the cause-and-effect relationship between the actions of the plaintiff and the state of the moral and psychological climate in the team. The facts of discussion of orders, decisions and actions of senior commanders, the spread of gossip were not recorded by the audit, and the parties did not present any other evidence of this to the court. Based on the provisions of the Code, it follows that not any violation, including a formal violation of ethical standards, can entail disciplinary liability of a police officer, but only a disciplinary offense associated with a violation of professional ethical principles and norms. By this case no such circumstances were established, including that they were not found in the conclusion of the internal audit. Based on the foregoing, the court came to the conclusion that the conclusion of the internal audit was unfounded and illegal. The court satisfied the employee’s demands, recognizing both the reprimand order itself and the conclusion of the internal audit, which served as the basis for disciplinary action, as illegal and unfounded (decision of the Cherkessk City Court of the Karachay-Cherkess Republic of March 22, 2011 in case 2-634/2011).

As you can see, a legally significant circumstance for punishing an employee is the fact that the employee’s actions constitute a disciplinary offense (see the determination of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation dated February 25, 2010 No. 377-О-О).

Let's fire

Let us note right away: it is impossible to fire an employee for slander and gossip, even if he has repeatedly made unethical statements. After all, there is no such basis in the Labor Code of the Russian Federation. The only basis that is most suitable in meaning is provided for in paragraph 8 of Part 1 of Art. 81 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation - the commission by an employee performing educational functions of an immoral offense that is incompatible with the continuation of this work. However, it cannot be applied to employees who do not perform educational functions. In addition, the immorality of gossip and caustic statements still needs to be proven. Don't forget about quite short term(Part 5 of Article 81 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation). How then to part with an employee who constantly makes tactlessness towards colleagues and does not respond to verbal comments from management and officially announced punishments?

It is sad, but in most cases the employer has to go the long way: to issue reprimands and reprimands for each case of violation of discipline, expressed both in violation of the norms of the Code of Corporate Ethics and in other violations. The goal is to collect several orders of punishment during the year and apply the next violation of such grounds for dismissal as clause 5 of Part 1 of Art. 81 Labor Code of the Russian Federation - repeated failure by an employee to perform job duties without good reason, if the employee has a disciplinary sanction. But such a basis can be used, as a rule, in relation to a malicious offender.

And what basis can be applied to an employee who makes sharp statements in a soft and veiled form, as a result of which they cannot be classified as a violation of local regulations, for example, the Ethics Regulations? And in the case when he does not commit other violations of discipline (for example, tardiness and absenteeism)? To part with such a “slippery” employee who has a “bad language”, two grounds can be used:

• at the initiative of the employer;
• by agreement of the parties.

At the initiative of the employer

If it is impossible to continue working with the slanderer in a team, then any of the grounds provided for in Part 1 of Art. 81 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation (with the exception of clause 1, part 1, article 81 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, if, of course, the organization continues to operate). But when using them, you should always evaluate both the actual possibility of using the base and the risks of negative consequences.

Thus, dismissal under clause 2, part 1, art. will be neutral. 81 Labor Code of the Russian Federation - to reduce numbers or staff. However, when using it, we must not forget that:

• the reduction must be real, not imaginary;
• the dismissed employee should not have advantages over others, i.e. the requirements of Art. 179 Labor Code of the Russian Federation;
• a gossip does not fall into one of the categories specified in Art. 261 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, in respect of which there is a ban on dismissal at the initiative of the employer;
• an employee cannot be dismissed at the initiative of the employer during the period of vacation and temporary disability (Part 6 of Article 81 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation).

You can fire an employee, including single gross violation of labor duties by an employee(any of the grounds provided for in clause 6, part 1, article 81 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation). If, of course, the employer manages to “catch” the slanderer in a one-time gross violation. For example, on an employee’s birthday, catch him drinking alcohol or being intoxicated at work. Which, in general, will not be difficult, since drinking alcohol in the workplace is often unofficially permitted. As you can see, keyword here - unofficially. Yes, such actions by the employer may seem ugly, but a reason will be found to part with the violator of the working climate in the team. In relation to employees who do not heed repeated comments from management, such methods are also good.

By agreement of the parties

Employers, taught by the bitter experience of long litigation with employees dismissed on controversial grounds, often prefer to come to an agreement and fire the slanderers under clause 3, part 1, art. 77 Labor Code of the Russian Federation ( By at will ) or according to clause 1, part 1, art. 77 Labor Code of the Russian Federation ( by agreement of the parties). The main thing that is required in this case is the manager’s ability to competently negotiate, avoiding offense on the part of the employee, but ultimately achieving his goal. Agree, this is a rare skill. Not every HR manager or ordinary HR worker can do this. However, by studying the relevant literature and certain experience, this is achievable.

Example 1

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To part with an ambitious employee who shows disloyalty to colleagues, but does not commit violations of discipline or failure to fulfill management’s assignments, you can use the following conversation scenario.

Part 1. Positive review business qualities of the employee. Example of wording: “I, as a manager, see your efforts and appreciate the success that you achieved in completing my last task. It was difficult, but very important for the company. You did a great job with it!”

Part 2. Notes in the work. Example of wording: “But at the same time, one cannot help but notice that when you appeared in the team, a certain tension and silence arose, and the initiative of the employees sharply decreased. Moreover, staff turnover has increased with unclear justifications for the need for voluntary dismissal. When completing your last task, you were unable to correctly distribute the workload and responsibility among the personnel entrusted to you. Because of which many went unnoticed, many will not receive bonuses at the end of the year.”

Part 3. Unjustified expectations. Example of wording: “When we hired you, our ultimate goal was to develop the head of the department/sector, which we briefly talked about during the interview. However, we also voiced the qualities that we expect from such a leader. It was not only about the business qualities that we really found in you, but also about personal qualities head of a large department/sector: the ability to establish contact with each subordinate, correctly distribute tasks among employees depending on the level of qualifications and speed of work. However, we still haven’t seen these qualities in you. You are a leader, but instead of building a strong team, you act alone, remaining not the center, but somewhere parallel to the team. You can even feel the negative atmosphere in the team. Considering that we have clear parameters for a leader, we are forced to admit that we were unable to raise such a leader from you. Of course, the position you occupy also has weight, and you are quite happy with the leadership in it. But we cannot offer you more. How much you need a place with no prospects for career growth is up to you to decide. Although, on the other hand, what is keeping you in this place without any prospects?”

Part 4. Proposal to break up. As a rule, it is at this point that the employee understands the employer’s hidden desire to leave. If an employee directly asks the question: “Do you want me to leave?”, it is important to answer loyally. For example: “We didn’t say this, but we think it would be the right decision.”

Part 5. Solution. It is not always that an employee with an “evil tongue” decides to leave of his own free will. In this case, all is not lost for a peaceful separation from him. If the employer has material resources, he may well offer the employee to part ways by agreement of the parties (clause 1, part 1, article 77 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation) with payment of compensation (usually no more than 2-3 salaries).

As practice shows, dismissal precisely for unethicality and outrageousness is still possible.

Example 2

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The media heatedly discussed the dismissal of the Mayak radio station presenters V. Kolosova and A. Veselkin, with whom employment contracts were terminated due to an on-air discussion in a mocking tone of the symptoms of a serious illness, often leading to death in childhood. A scandalous incident occurred in October last year, when the program “Sores” aired as part of the morning show, in which the hosts discussed the problems of cystic fibrosis with a guest doctor. During the conversation, the presenters ridiculed the symptoms of the disease, and one got the complete impression that they were out of their minds, the jokes were so cynical. Of course, at the request of the public, both the presenters themselves and the management of the radio station made a public apology. However, this did not influence the management's decision to part with the employees. The grounds used by the employer for dismissing these individuals were not publicly disclosed.

The response is unexpected

Analysis judicial practice shows that an employee can challenge not only the legally significant actions of the employer (disciplinary action up to dismissal), but also the methods of struggle. In particular, in his opinion, they can affect his honor and dignity and be offensive. Therefore, employees often go to court to demand compensation for moral damages. Although it is very, very difficult to prove the derogation of honor and dignity through actions and statements.

Courts, examining all the evidence presented in the case, more often come to the conclusion that any harm caused by the employee, in respect of whom legal measures have been taken to combat his habit of gossip and scandal, has not been proven. Nevertheless, even with such negative practice for employees, disputes with similar subjects of claims occur regularly.

Arbitrage practice

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The employee filed a claim against the employer for protection of honor and dignity and compensation for moral damage. The essence of the case was as follows: the plaintiff was fired from work for absenteeism, but was reinstated by the court due to a violation of the disciplinary procedure. After being reinstated for violation of discipline, he was reprimanded, which, upon the protest of the prosecutor, was declared illegal due to the delay in punishment. After the illegal order was issued, many employees became aware of its contents, rumors and gossip began to spread, which caused the applicant enormous distress and moral suffering, in connection with which he asked to recover compensation for moral damage from the defendant. In addition, the plaintiff indicated that his work is currently related to the moral education of cadets, who could have a negative opinion about his business reputation. The court examined the evidence presented and did not find in the employer’s actions the dissemination of information about the applicant, as well as the defamatory nature of this information. The applicant did not provide any significant evidence confirming these facts, and therefore the claim was not satisfied (decision of the Pavlovsky District Court of the Krasnodar Territory dated 03/03/2011).

In conclusion, we note that the presence of employees with “evil tongues” in a team is undoubtedly harmful to the working atmosphere. Unlike the competitive instinct, deliberate and unreasonable belittling of a colleague’s merits does not bring a positive effect to the work process in general and the development of an individual in particular.

There are psychological and legal methods of combating “evil tongues.” The latter achieve results faster and more effectively in the form of stopping or reducing the amount of gossip, scandals and grievances in the team. They are based on the application of punishment for specific actions of the employee, which can be qualified as a violation of the employer’s local acts containing the standards of ethics, behavior and treatment of colleagues established at the enterprise. It is necessary to remember that a legally significant circumstance for punishing an employee is the fact that the employee’s actions constitute a disciplinary offense.

When using legal measures, the employer has the right to apply various grounds for dismissal provided for by the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, choosing the most appropriate depending on the specific circumstances of the case. However, when an employee is punished for an “evil tongue” and a legal dispute arises, there is a risk that the court will recognize the employer’s actions as illegal when the judicial authority applies the position of the European Court on a similar dispute, according to which holding an employee accountable and disciplinary action for expressing a critical opinion is equivalent to interference in his right to freedom of expression.

In general, it is possible to eradicate the phenomenon of “evil tongues” in a team if there is a desire to do so and the use of psychological and legal methods in combination.

Footnotes

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