28/07/2026
One toxic employee can wreck a team that took you years to build.
It rarely starts as something obvious.
It begins with small things. A comment here. A bit of negativity there. Someone quietly pushing boundaries.
And, over time, negativity spreads.
Bad behaviour becomes normalised.
Good people disengage or leave.
Team performance breaks down.
And then your time gets sucked up managing cultural issues
Instead of allowing one toxic employee to create all of the damage, early intervention is key.
Here is how to deal with it instead:
1: Start by naming the behaviour, not the person.
Be specific about what is happening rather than using labels like “difficult” or “toxic”.
2: Write down clear examples and the impact they are having on the team or the business.
This gives you something objective to work from.
3: Have the conversation early.
The earlier you address it, the more likely it is to change.
4: Set clear expectations.
Be explicit about what needs to improve, by when and what will happen if it does not.
5: If nothing changes, take appropriate action.
Do not avoid it or keep resetting the situation.
If you are dealing with a situation like this and are not sure how to approach it, I am happy to talk it through with you.
