How to Deal with Bad

Professional Behaviors?
Dr. Nami Aljehani
How to Deal with Bad
Behaviors?
 Aims

 What are “bad behaviours”

 Why it’s important to deal with bad
behaviours
 Impact on an individual and organisation
 Dealing with bad behaviours
 Your responsibilities and rights
 What is Bad Behaviour?

Conduct Disturbances

Repeated, unreasonable or inappropriate

behaviour at work place or in the
course of employment that is
intimidating, insulting, offensive,
demeaning, or humiliating others.
 What Are Bad Behaviours?

Three categories
• Verbal abuse
• Non-verbal abuse
• Physical abuse
 Verbal abuse

 Put downs, humiliating jokes and comments,

constant teasing
 Yelling, name calling, swearing, sarcasm
 Unfair criticism
 Unwelcome comments about someone’s
race, religion or background
 Threats and intimidation
 Non-verbal Abuse
 Rude gestures and disrespectful facial
expressions
 Unfair workloads
 Withholding of resources or information
needed to undertake work
 Unnecessary changes in work patterns or
conditions
 Denying access to rights or promotions
 Isolation and exclusion
 Stalking
 Displaying offensive material
 Physical Abuse

 Unwelcome pranks, horse-play and practical

jokes
 Invading personal space
 Uninvited touching or brushing against
someone
 Pushing, shoving, hitting, tripping, spitting
 Damage to personal property
 What Isn’t Bad Behaviour?

 Occasional differences in opinion, non-

aggressive conflicts & problems in working
relationships.
 Legitimate comment, advice and direction
from managers in accordance with the
Labour Law
 Appropriate management of poor
performance, issues of bad behaviour,
inappropriate dress etc
 Organisational Impact

 Direct Costs
 Lost productivity, lowered performance
and increased accidents
 Increase absenteeism
 Low staff morale
 Cost of stress claims, compensation,
litigation or court fines
 Higher insurance premiums
 Organisational Impact

 Indirect Costs
 Recruitment, replacement and
induction/training for a new employees.
 Increased workloads on co-workers
 Loss of knowledge and expertise
 Loss of customers to competitors
 Reputation on the line – deters future
quality employees
 Individual Impact

o Psychological: stress, loss of self-esteem,

depression and loss of trust
o Physical: headaches, stomach problems and
panic attacks
o Social: isolation, social withdrawal, family
problems and attempted suicide
o Career: black-listing and job loss
 Organisation Factors that Support
Bad Behaviours

 Abuse is likely in organisations where:

o Thereis an atmosphere of unhealthy
competition
o Management believes workers must be
harassed to be productive
o There is a culture of fear
o Individual differences are not valued
oA climate of informality encourages a lack of
respect
 Organisation Factors that Support Bad
Behaviours (cont…)

 Supervision is problematic:
o Supervisors are appointed without the skills
to supervise effectively
o People are under-worked and under-
supervised
o People are over-worked and over-
supervised
o Job mobility is reduced
o Morale is low

© Human Factor Australia

 Organisation Factors that Support Bad
Behaviours (cont…)

 Power imbalances encourage abuse

o There is change to work practices, or
restructuring is taking place
o Systems, such as performance appraisals can
be abused without detection
o There are poor lines of communication
o There are poor relationships between
management and workers
o Team work is not encouraged
o Employee involvement is not facilitated

© Human Factor Australia

 Dealing with Bad Behaviours

 What's happening here?

 What are the facts of the situation?
 What's their part?
 What's my part?
 What are my options?
 The Individual

Approach the alleged perpetrator:

 Describe the unwanted behaviour
and request that it stop.
 Focus on the effect of the
behaviour.
 Don’t make it a personalised attack.
 Try to get agreement on future
interactions.
 The Individual

 Keep a diary of events

 Record incidents in as much detail as
possible.
 Record names of witnesses.
 Record names of people willing to
support your claim.
 Take it to Higher Authority
 The Manager/Supervisor

 If aware that bad behaviour is occurring MUST

address even if no complaint is made.
 Act promptly and maintain confidentiality.
 Note details from the alleged victim and what
action/support they are seeking.
 Discuss the situation with the alleged
perpetrator.
 Ensure alleged victim is protected from
victimisation
 Responsibilities

All employees are expected and

required to behave ethically and
professionally in the workplace.
 All Employees Must ...

 Ensure that own behaviour does not

offend, intimidate, or threaten others.
 Comply with relevant Code of
Conduct, policies and procedures.
 Participate professionally when
getting performance feedback.
 All Employees Must ...

 Seek to constructively resolve

conflicts
 Report inappropriate behaviours so
that others are not placed at risk
 Respect your work colleagues
 Managers/Supervisors Must ...

 Establish and maintain a safe

workplace
 Ensure employees are aware of and
understand their responsibilities
 Role model appropriate behaviours
 Take complaints seriously
 Managers/Supervisors Must ...

 Act if observe inappropriate

behaviours
 Apply natural justice and procedural
fairness
 Seek advice if unsure – (HR – Saudi
Labour Office)
 Conclusion

 Bad behaviours are costly to both

the organization and the individual
 Management has a responsibility
to take the issue of bad behaviours
in the workplace seriously
 Finally

 Don’t respond emotionally.

 Remain objective.
 Attack the problem, not the person.
 Don’t make it personal.
 Avoid using generalities.
 Never criticize in front of another.