Disgruntled Employee: Meaning, Signs & Ways to Handle
Disgruntled employees can lower morale, affect teamwork, and hurt productivity. They may seem frustrated, disengaged, or unwilling to adapt, and their attitude can influence others. In 2023 , unhappy employees cost US companies an estimated $1.9 trillion in decreased productivity. With only 32% of workers feeling engaged, down from 36% in 2020 , employee dissatisfaction is a growing concern.
To keep your team motivated, it is important to recognize frustration early. In this article, we explain what a disgruntled employee is, the common signs, possible causes of their dissatisfaction, and tips for handling and managing disgruntled employees effectively.
What is a disgruntled employee?
A disgruntled employee is an individual who is very unhappy with their job, workplace, or employer. Experts say they "may engage in destructive activities," such as sabotage, using their knowledge of the company’s systems and networks.
Examples of disgruntled employee behavior include:
Spreading negative comments about the company to coworkers or online.
Ignoring instructions or deliberately missing deadlines.
Mishandling company data or leaking confidential information.
Damaging equipment or deleting files.
Refusing to cooperate with managers or team members.
Showing frequent anger, sarcasm, or resentment in the workplace.
Unfair pay can lead to unmotivated and disgruntled employees, which can hurt morale and productivity. To avoid this, it is important to have a fair pay strategy. Salary.com's Pay Equity Suite helps you achieve and maintain pay equity by addressing the gender pay gap, raises, and other pay concerns.
Why do employees become disgruntled?
Employees turn into disgruntled due to various reasons, here are some of the key contributing factors:
Poor leadership and management: Employees lose motivation when managers are unclear, disorganized, or make inconsistent decisions. Without trust and support from leaders, dissatisfaction grows quickly.
Lack of career development and professional development opportunities: Employees may lose interest when there are no clear career paths or training programs to grow, learn, or move up. This is especially frustrating for those who want to achieve more but feel overlooked.
Accidental managers: Some employees become managers because of their skills, not leadership ability. Without proper training, they struggle to lead, causing confusion and unhappy teams.
Unfair or uncompetitive compensation and benefits: When employees feel underpaid or unfairly paid, their job satisfaction drops, and they may feel unappreciated and lose motivation.
Excessive workload and poor work-life balance (burnout): Constant overwork without thanks or extra pay leads to burnout. When work takes away personal time, employees may feel resentful. It is important to support a healthy work-life balance to prevent this.
Toxic work environment and company culture: Workplaces with favoritism, bullying, gossip, or discrimination make other employees feel unsafe and excluded. This causes unhappiness, less involvement, and can damage the company’s reputation.
Besides having a fair and inclusive workplace, it’s important to create a positive work environment that promotes pay equity. Salary.com’s tool helps find pay gaps in your company based on gender, ethnicity, age, and other factors.
Warning signs of a disgruntled employee
Knowing how to identify a disgruntled employee helps address employee concerns early. Look for these signs that indicate dissatisfaction with their job or workplace:
Sign #1. A disgruntled employee works less or does lower-quality work
When unhappy, employees often put in less effort or produce work that doesn’t meet the usual standards because they feel disconnected or unmotivated.
Sign #2. They often complain, act negative, and resist changes
Disgruntled workers frequently express dissatisfaction through complaining and may reject new ideas or changes. Their negative attitudes can harm team morale and create a difficult work environment.
Sign #3. They miss work more often or arrive late frequently
Increased absenteeism or tardiness often signals disengagement, as unhappy employees may avoid coming to work or struggle to stay punctual.
Sign #4. They avoid joining team activities, meetings, and social events
When feeling unhappy, employees tend to withdraw from group activities and socializing, which can harm team cohesion and open communication.
Sign #5. Their work quality drops and is not as good as before
Discontent can lead to careless mistakes or rushed work, resulting in lower quality output than what the employee used to deliver. Low employee satisfaction often causes this drop in work quality.
Sign #6. They seem unmotivated and uninterested in their tasks
Lack of enthusiasm or energy toward daily responsibilities is a clear sign that the employee is not fully engaged or invested in their job.
Sign #7. They make more mistakes because they are careless or distracted
Disgruntled workers may lose focus, leading to an increase in errors or oversights that affect overall productivity.
Sign #8. Coworkers often complain about their bad attitude or poor teamwork
Negative behavior or unwillingness to cooperate often causes friction with colleagues, resulting in complaints and a toxic atmosphere.
Sign #9. They do only what is required and don’t take extra effort
Disengaged employees limit their work to the minimum needed, avoiding additional responsibilities or initiatives that could benefit the team.
Sign #10. They may act out, cause conflicts, or ignore company rules
Frustration can lead to inappropriate behavior such as arguing with others or disregarding policies, which disrupts the workplace and signals deeper dissatisfaction.
Avoid these problems by making sure your employee engagement is strong. Having fair, competitive pay is one of the key factors. Salary.com's Pay Equity tool helps you achieve the right pay balance.
Tips on how to handle a disgruntled employee
Dealing with a disgruntled employee needs care, understanding, and professionalism. Here are some helpful tips:
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Listen actively and identify root causes
Listen carefully during one-on-one meetings without cutting the employee off. Ask open questions to find out what is really causing their frustration, like workload, pay, or personal issues. This helps you address the real problem, not just the surface.
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Stay calm, empathetic, and professional
Emotional intelligence helps handle conflict better. A study found that 90% of top performers have strong emotional skills. Being empathetic can calm tense situations, and staying professional keeps the talk on track. Employees respond better when they feel respected and heard in such situations.
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Collaborate on potential solutions
Work with the employee to find ways to make things better. Talk about what changes, support services, or improvements to workplace culture might help and listen to their input. This shows you value their voice and makes them more likely to follow through on any plans.
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Follow up consistently
Keep checking in with both the employee and yourself after your first talk. Ask how things are going, if the fixes are working, and if any new problems have come up. Bring up these points in team meetings too. Regular follow-up shows you want real change, not just a quick talk.
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Involve HR when necessary
If the problem is serious, keeps happening, or breaks rules, involve HR. They can help solve the issue, keep records, ensure everything is handled fairly and by company rules, and refer the employee to employee assistance programs for additional support.
If pay is a problem, ensure employees know how pay works and believe it is fair and clear. Sharing pay information openly builds trust and helps create a positive work environment.
FAQs
Here are some common questions about the topic:
What to ask a disgruntled employee?
To effectively address a disgruntled employee, start by creating a safe space for them to share their concerns. Ask open questions like "What’s on your mind?" and "How is work going?" to encourage them to talk. Listen carefully and with understanding, without interrupting or getting defensive.
How do you respond to a disgruntled employee?
To respond to a disgruntled employee, listen carefully and kindly to employee concerns in private. Find out what is causing their unhappiness, work together to fix it, and follow up to show you care. Employee surveys can help find problems early.
When should I fire a disgruntled employee?
You might need to fire an unhappy employee if their bad behavior keeps causing problems, hurts the team’s mood or work, breaks rules even after warnings, or puts other team members in danger.
Studies show that unhappy or terminated employees may delete company data before leaving, or in worse cases, cause workplace violence. Taking legal action may be necessary to protect the company and its employees.
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