Dealing With A Workplace Slacker

Working in an office with different personalities and work ethics can be a difficult task. What’s even more is when you are working with a person in your organization who is always passing the buck and dropping the ball on important deadlines and such. Workplace slackers are the death of any business and could also ruin your work reputation if you do not have it nipped in the bud.

We all know a workplace slacker. They spend more time on their phone texting or online surfing or shopping than actually putting in work. Most of the time, these types of individuals are harmless but they can interfere with progress and office production. Workplace slackers are usually self centered folk that really don’t care about their workflow or lack thereof. They are there usually to get  a paycheck and a paycheck only, and are not interested in climbing the corporate ladder and being a star in the workplace.

Workplace slackers will often talk a good game when the boss or management is around, but when it comes to actually putting in work, they give less than eighty percent. And of course when they are called on the carpet about their poor work habits, they usually pass the buck and blame someone else.

So how should you deal with a workplace slacker?

If you actually have a vested interest in this person, you could pull them to the side and give them some words of advice. Sometimes, all a workplace slacker needs is for someone to call them on their stuff. But if you have already done this to no avail or you don’t feel the need to confront them for their slackedness, you could simply let them get caught up in their own slacker problem.

Management usually tries to stay out of such activities, but believe me, they know just who the office slacker is and is waiting for them to make a change or be fired. An office slacker can only slack so long before it becomes apparent to everyone that they aren’t cutting the mustard. Patience is best used in this situation, but it will be handled by the upper chain in the company eventually. If you want more speedy results, you could always report your findings to management, but being a tattletale is not always wise in the office. Sometimes sitting back and seeing it all unfold is the best way to handle this situation.

Dealing with a workplace slacker is neither easy nor fun, but in an office full of differences, it is to be expected. Be professional at all times, handle your business and keep the eye on your ball. Do your job and do it well and make sure your work is up to par. Outshining the office slacker is the best revenge.