Do you know how to deal with a deliberately mean co-worker?

Nothing worse than being in an environment of work bad, isn't it? After all, it is the place where we spend most of our lives, so we end up taking many of the problems present there into the house. In certain cases, some friction or problems are deliberate and caused by malicious people, who can even be identified without much difficulty. see below how to deal with a bad co-worker.

Read more: 4 signs that may indicate you are in a toxic job

Something very common within some companies, in addition to bullying and harassment, is a problem known in English as “undermining”. This is a type of action that can appear very subtly in everyday life, but that over time can harm you a lot. It is even something that is still quite neglected in the labor market, but which is becoming more and more frequent.

undermining signals

Easier than conceptualizing it, some practical examples can further clarify how undermining works, these being the most common signs:

• Peers judge others morally;
• They act as superiors and give orders to the more experienced;
• Interrupt others to state their opinion, regardless of its usefulness;
• They spread rumors in the office;
• Are competitive;
• In meetings or gatherings they tend to make fun of the speaker;
• They surround others with “suggestions” or “criticisms” that don't really add up.

How to deal with the problem?

In general, these people are aggressors without even conveying this image. Because of this, they can often seem friendly or helpful, but if you feel harmed, you can start to adopt some precautions.

To begin with, if one of these colleagues harms you, you can turn to your superior or human resources. In some cases, they can even be confronted, but it is very likely that they will deny the situation and make you look crazy.

Therefore, evaluate the relationship very carefully and try to shield yourself from this toxic behavior, moving away and becoming more assertive during your lines.