“Employees who feel unfairly treated will be more likely to engage in deviant behavior that damages the company or the people working there as an end goal. This, naturally, affects productivity.” – Sam Shepler, CEO of Testimonial Hero.
Counterproductive work behaviors (CWB) have the capacity to disrupt team dynamics, create health & safety hazards, facilitate workplace toxicity, and threaten a company’s operations. Hence, companies must recognize and address CWBs head-on to maintain a healthy and harmonious work culture. Managers and employees must work together to implement effective strategies and policies designed to mitigate the risks associated with CWBs, like fraud, harassment, and absenteeism. This article outlines common counterproductive work behaviors and best practices to identify and prevent them, ensuring a safer, more synergetic, and productive workplace.
What Does the Term Counterproductive Work Behavior Mean?
Counterproductive work behavior (CWB), also referred to as workplace deviance, is any employee or managerial action or behavior that undermines the goals and interests of a business or its workforce.
Why is it Important for managers and employees to be aware of CWBs?
Counterproductive work behaviors (CWBs) can affect the quality of work produced by employees who choose to engage in them. Moreover, CWBs can also negatively impact the productivity of other employees, create unsafe work conditions, damage company property, hurt company morale, and contribute to a toxic work environment. Awareness of counterproductive behaviors can help employees and managers identify and prevent them from becoming issues.
Why do People Engage in Counterproductive Behavior?
Previous studies have shown that counterproductive work behavior is caused by excessive stressors in the workplace. Moreover, The main driving force behind CWBs can be broad and include environmental factors such as, lack of training, inter-personal conflicts, life changes and external influences. In short, there is no simple answer to this questions due to the complexity of human psychology, human behavior, and workplace social dynamics.
It is important to note that not all CWBs are intentional; in fact, the majority of workers undertaking CWB do not intend to harm their company or colleagues. Rather, these individuals fall into the “trap(s)” of counterproductive work behavior, unaware of the issues it creates for the company, coworkers and their own professional development.
What Are the Most Common Counterproductive Work Behaviors?
Counterproductive work behaviors can take many forms; some common ones include lateness, employee theft, buddy punching, unnecessary risk-taking, fraud, sexual harassment, workplace bullying, absenteeism, substance abuse, workplace aggression, or sabotage.
Here is a list of CWBs, an explanation of their impact on the workplace and best practice suggestions to help address and prevent them:
Lateness
Lateness occurs when employees arrive to work later than the scheduled start time. Depending on the industry, this CWB disrupts employee and workflow schedules and can delay entire projects.
Being late affects not only the tardy employee’s productivity but also their colleagues who depend on their timely contributions.
Best Practice: To discourage this behavior, organizations should enforce a strict timekeeping policy and offer incentives for punctuality. Regular monitoring and gentle reminders about being on time can help maintain discipline.
Employee Theft
Employee theft, ranging from stealing office supplies to embezzling money, creates financial losses and damages trust within the workplace.
Best Practice: Preventing this requires a comprehensive security system, regular audits, and strict enforcement of the consequences of theft if it is discovered.
In Addition, creating a work environment where employees feel valued and adequately compensated reduces the temptation to steal.
Buddy Punching
Buddy punching occurs when an employee clocks in for a coworker, falsifies work records and leads to payroll fraud.
Best Practice: To address this issue, companies should implement biometric time clocks that require a fingerprint or retinal scan to register presence. TimeWellscheduled offers all the tools your business needs to combat buddy punching and save money.
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Unnecessary Risk-taking
Risk-taking is when employees make decisions that jeopardize workplace safety, company finances, or a business’s legal standing without sufficient benefits.
Risk-taking by employees can lead to accidents, financial losses, and legal liabilities.
Best Practice: In order to prevent risk-taking, company leaders must establish clear risk management policies, conduct regular training on safety procedures, and create a culture where employees feel they can voice concerns about potentially hazardous methods or shortcuts.
Fraud
Fraud is the act of deliberate deception to secure unfair or unlawful gain. Some common examples of workplace fraud include time theft, expense reimbursement fraud, payroll fraud, and data theft.
Best Practice: To prevent fraud, companies need to install robust financial controls, conduct surprise audits, and promote a transparent organizational culture that rewards ethical behavior.
Sexual Harassment
Sexually harassing co-workers creates a hostile environment and can lead to significant emotional and professional harm for victims.
Best Practice: Preventing harassment starts with comprehensive training sessions for all employees, clear reporting procedures, and a zero-tolerance policy regarding any form of harassment.
Workplace Bullying
Bullying in the workplace involves repeated, health-harming activities that can undermine victims’ dignity, safety, and well-being.
Best Practice: To tackle bullying, organizations should establish strong anti-bullying policies, provide regular training on workplace behavior, and ensure there are easy, confidential ways for employees to report bullying.
Absenteeism
Absenteeism is the habit of coming to work less often than expected. Excessive absenteeism disrupts operations and can burden team members with increased workloads.
Best Practice: Effectively addressing absenteeism requires a fair but firm attendance policy, support for work-life balance, and potentially counseling services for employees facing personal challenges.
Substance Abuse
Substance abuse is the act of consuming intoxicating substances during or before work, impairing judgment, behavior, and productivity. Intoxication in the workplace impairs judgment and decreases work performance while increasing the risk of accidents.
Best Practice: Employers often address substance abuse by offering support programs, conducting random drug tests, and providing resources for addiction help.
Workplace Aggression
Workplace aggression includes shouting, throwing items, or initiating physical conflicts that can affect morale and safety. When individuals express aggressive behavior, they can severely impact employee morale and workplace safety.
Best Practice: Businesses that experience workplace aggression have developed preventative measures, including conflict resolution training, stress management resources, and swift disciplinary action against aggressive behavior.
Sabotage
Sabotage is the intentional act of damaging or disrupting operations or company property with the aim of negatively impacting the organization. Whether damaging physical assets or disrupting workflows, personal or professional grievances motivate this behavior.
Best Practice: Preventing sabotage involves security measures, developing a positive work environment, and addressing employee grievances promptly and fairly.
Five Tips to Help Prevent Counterproductive Work Behaviors
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- Implement Regular Training Programs: Company leaders must conduct comprehensive training sessions focusing on ethical behavior, company policies, and the consequences of counterproductive behaviors. Ensure these training sessions are mandatory and repeated annually to keep the guidelines fresh in everyone’s mind.
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- Establish Clear Policies and Consequences: Define clear and explicit policies that outline what constitutes counterproductive behaviors, including the specific repercussions for engaging in such activities. It is important to ensure these policies are readily available and understood by all managers and employees.
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- Create a Culture of Open Communication: Encourage an open-door policy where employees feel safe reporting unethical behavior without fear of retaliation. Furthermore, decision-makers should promote regular feedback sessions that allow employees to voice concerns and suggest improvements.
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- Utilize a Robust Monitoring System: Many organizations install monitoring systems to oversee financial transactions, internet usage, and other relevant areas susceptible to fraud and abuse. Regularly review these systems to identify and address potential misconduct swiftly.
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- Recognize and Reward Ethical Behavior: Develop a recognition program that rewards employees for upstanding behavior and adherence to company policies and ethical standards. Publicly demonstrating these rewards provides positive examples that will reinforce the value of integrity and deter others from engaging in CWB.
“Preventing CWBs won’t be possible all the time, but consistently showing your staff that company values and policies are enforced will create a greater sense of awareness around these behaviors and make them less prevalent.” (Source: Verensics, 2021)
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