Human Resources Business Insights

Destructive behavior in the workplace: how to recognize it and what to do about it

Tension within a team does not always begin with an open conflict. Sometimes the problem may seem harmless: an employee regularly interrupts colleagues, ignores agreements, spreads negativity, undermines decisions, or demonstratively refuses to cooperate. A single incident does not necessarily indicate a serious problem. But when such behavior is repeated and begins to affect others, it becomes destructive.

For a manager, it is important to distinguish in time between a difficult personality, a professional disagreement, or temporary irritation and a recurring pattern of behavior that damages interaction within the team.

Let’s look at which signs are worth monitoring, why destructive behavior occurs, and how to respond without making the situation worse.

What is destructive behavior in the workplace?

Destructive behavior can be defined as repeated employee behavior that interferes with the normal work of the team, worsens communication, or creates additional risks for the business.

It does not necessarily involve a loud conflict. The problem may appear in much less obvious ways:

constantly devaluing colleagues’ ideas;
sarcasm and harsh comments;
refusing to share necessary information;
deliberately delaying joint tasks;
ignoring agreements;
shifting responsibility onto others;
spreading rumors;
provoking conflicts between employees;
demonstratively resisting management decisions;
regularly crossing professional boundaries.

The key criterion is repetition and its impact on work.

For example, disagreeing with a manager’s decision is not destructive in itself. An employee has the right to ask questions and suggest alternatives. But if, after a decision has been made, they continue to undermine its implementation or turn colleagues against it, the situation already requires attention.

Why it is important to respond as early as possible

If one employee regularly communicates aggressively or fails to follow agreements, others begin to adapt: they avoid working with that person, stop sharing ideas, discuss the problem among themselves, or try to solve it without involving the manager.

As a result, the following problems may arise:

declining trust within the team;
delays in work;
repeated mistakes;
increased emotional tension;
reduced initiative;
division of the team into informal groups;
loss of strong employees.

That is why managers should not wait until the situation develops into an open conflict.

How to understand whether the problem is really the behavior

One of the most dangerous mistakes is quickly labeling someone a “toxic employee.”

This shifts the conversation from specific actions to the person’s character. Instead, managers should collect observable facts.

Compare:

Assessment:
“He is confrontational and cannot work in a team.”

Fact:
“During the last three meetings, the employee interrupted colleagues while they were presenting their proposals and twice refused to provide data required for a shared task.”

In the second case, the manager understands exactly what needs to be addressed.

Before the conversation, it is useful to answer four questions:

What specific behavior is being repeated?
In which situations does it occur?
How does it affect colleagues, clients, or results?
Which rules or agreements are being violated?

This helps avoid subjective accusations.

First, understand the cause

Destructive behavior can have different causes.

Sometimes an employee genuinely and consciously breaks the rules. But in other cases, a change in behavior may be caused by another problem: excessive workload, unclear responsibilities, conflicting priorities, lack of resources, accumulated dissatisfaction, or a tense relationship with a particular colleague.

That is why the manager’s first task is not to punish, but to understand the situation.

The conversation can begin neutrally:

“I’ve noticed that during the last few meetings, the discussion has turned into heated arguments several times. I’d like to understand what is happening and what is preventing normal cooperation.”

It is important to give the employee an opportunity to explain their position. This does not mean agreeing with everything they say, but it helps provide context.

Discuss actions, not personality

If the problem is confirmed, feedback should be as specific as possible.

The SBI model — Situation, Behavior, Impact — can be used for this purpose: describe the situation, the specific behavior, and its consequences.

For example:

“During Tuesday’s meeting, when your colleague was presenting the project results, you interrupted her several times and said the idea ‘made no sense’ without explaining why. After that, the discussion stopped, and the other employees barely participated in the conversation.”

This approach is much more constructive than saying, “You are behaving in a toxic way.”

More about how to structure conversations like this is explained in the FlagMAN-D article Feedback without conflict: the SBI model or the “sandwich” method.

Set clear expectations

After discussing the problem, the employee should understand not only what was wrong, but also what behavior is expected going forward.

For example:

allowing colleagues to finish their thoughts;
discussing disagreements without personal attacks;
providing information within agreed deadlines;
resolving work-related conflicts directly rather than through third parties;
following the established communication channels.

The more specific the expectations are, the easier it is for the employee to change their behavior and for the manager to evaluate the result.

It is also important to review the company’s processes

Sometimes repeated conflicts are not caused only by individual people.

If responsibilities are unclear, different employees believe they are responsible for the same area, rules are not formally documented, and decisions depend on verbal agreements, the conditions for conflict arise repeatedly.

We help companies systematize HR documentation management and HR processes: formalizing responsibilities, changes to employment conditions, internal documents, and HR procedures. A clear system reduces the number of disputed situations and helps managers rely on more than verbal agreements alone.

It is also useful to review the company’s internal regulations. You can read more about the documents that govern interaction rules, responsibilities, and corporate standards in the article Development of internal regulations and local documentation.

What to do if the behavior does not change

After the meeting, it is worth documenting:

which behavior was discussed;
what needs to change;
what support is required;
when the situation will be reviewed again.

After that, it is important to monitor specific actions.

If the employee adjusts their behavior, that is a positive result. If the problem continues to occur systematically despite feedback and clear expectations, the manager should treat the situation as both a management and an HR issue.

Particular care is needed when the situation involves discipline, job responsibilities, or possible employment-related consequences. A manager’s frustration alone is not grounds for an HR decision — the employer’s actions must comply with company documentation and the requirements of the labor legislation of the Republic of Moldova.

In such cases, FlagMAN-D provides consultations on employment matters and HR documentation as part of its HR support services. Specialists help determine which actions are appropriate in a specific situation, which documents are required, and how to reduce the risk of mistakes when making HR decisions.

What managers should not do

Even when the problem is obvious, the wrong response can make the conflict worse.

Managers should avoid:

discussing an employee’s behavior with the team behind their back;
criticizing the employee publicly;
using labels such as “toxic,” “difficult,” or “confrontational”;
bringing up every past mistake at once;
threatening consequences they do not intend to apply;
ignoring similar behavior from other employees;
assuming that the conflict will resolve itself.

Consistency is especially important. If the same behavior is considered a violation when one employee does it but is regularly tolerated when another does it, trust in the manager declines quickly.

A short action plan for managers

If destructive behavior appears within the team, the sequence of actions may look like this:

Record specific facts, not impressions.
Assess the impact on the team, deadlines, and results.
Hold a private conversation with the employee.
Clarify the causes and listen to their perspective.
Define the expected behavior as specifically as possible.
Agree on the next steps and a timeframe for reviewing the situation.
If the situation continues, move to formal HR processes, taking into account legislation and the company’s internal documents.

Conclusion

Destructive behavior in the workplace should not be defined solely by personal preferences or emotional impressions. Managers need to focus on specific recurring actions and their impact on the team’s work.

The most effective approach is to respond early, discuss facts, identify the causes, and set clear expectations. But if the problem continues, conversations alone are not enough: clear roles, internal rules, documentation, and consistent HR processes are needed.

This allows the company to protect not only the working atmosphere, but also the team’s ability to cooperate effectively and achieve results.

FlagMAN-D

2026-10-02 12:15