The Lack of Home Education is the Main Culprit for Inappropriate Behavior at Work

To err is human, as long as we do not cross the line of good taste. MojPosao conducted a survey of over 60 employers and 500 employees to determine what is considered inappropriate behavior at work and what causes it.

Physical assault is the worst thing an employee can do

Both employers and employees agree that physical assault is the worst thing an employee can do at work. Employees believe that cruel jokes, gossiping, and generally vulgar language are high on the list of inappropriate behaviors (61%). On the other hand, employers, after physical assault, highlight tardiness (to meetings, to work, and generally with deadlines) (47%) and taking fake sick leaves (45%) as inappropriate behaviors.

Among inappropriate behaviors, respondents most often recognize gossiping about superiors (44%) and gossiping about other colleagues (42%). A quarter admit to using office supplies for personal needs, and a fifth admit to having a problem with tardiness (20%), as well as vulgar language and cruel jokes (19%).

Sanctions

Both employees and employers agree that the most appropriate sanction for inappropriate behavior is a conversation with the employee (67% of employees and 62% of employers) and a warning before dismissal – if it concerns more serious situations (50% of employees and 52% of employers). Employers are more likely to consider it justified to give an extraordinary dismissal (44%) than employees would expect in such a situation (24%). On the other hand, more employees (27%) than employers (17%) consider a salary reduction justified in that situation, as well as the absence of promotion (25% of employees and 21% of employers). Only 6% of employees have been subjected to sanctions for inappropriate behavior, and they believe that this was mostly completely undeserved.

“A conversation with the boss due to ‘inappropriate’ behavior towards a colleague who is under her protection. My inappropriate behavior was refusing to perform the work for which another person was responsible, who did nothing but was a friend of the boss.”

“Yes, I complained about constant unpaid overtime, and I received a negative rating on my annual evaluation. I was given a plan on how to improve my attitude towards work to get out of the negative rating.”

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On the other hand, as many as 60% of employers have been in a situation where they had to impose sanctions for prohibited behaviors, most often for tardiness at work, fake sick leaves, and physical assaults.

Only a fifth of employers (20%) believe that inappropriate behavior is not present among their employees. The majority of employers, half of them (53%), have noticed inappropriate behavior among some employees, while 16% have noticed such behavior among half of the employees. Only 8% of employers believe that the majority of employees behave inappropriately, while 3% believe that all employees behave inappropriately to some extent.

The worst behaviors that employers have witnessed: Verbal attacks on colleagues, swearing, throwing inventory in the presence of guests in the restaurant. Sex on the work desk. Belittling and insulting one employee by another.

The worst behaviors that employees have witnessed: Leaving the workplace in the middle of a meeting and going home without any explanation. Taking fake sick leaves, false reports against superiors for mobbing, intentional obstruction by colleagues.

More than half of the surveyed employees (58%) would not allow themselves inappropriate behavior at work. Just over a third of respondents (38%) accept the possibility of being provoked enough to ‘allow’ themselves inappropriate behavior in that case. Only a small portion of employees (4%) admitted that they would allow themselves inappropriate behavior if they knew they would not be punished.

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The majority of employers (84%) and employees (79%) see the cause of inappropriate behavior in the lack of home education. Employees, to a greater extent than employers, see the cause of inappropriate behavior in a poor work atmosphere, stress at work, and excessive workload.

Employees believe to a slightly greater extent that inappropriate behaviors increase with work experience, while employers believe to a greater extent that such behaviors decrease with work experience. This is likely related to the causes of inappropriate behaviors, which employees see as being more related to work overload than employers do.

The majority of employees (43%) believe that employees themselves are most responsible for curbing inappropriate behavior, while employers (51%) believe that this responsibility lies with the director. Interestingly, the least number of employees (10%) and employers (6%) believe that the human resources department is responsible for curbing inappropriate behavior at work.