Should Bad Employees Get Fired? The Debate Continues

Have you ever received criticism from a supervisor, boss or from someone you expected should be helping you as part as their job? I’m sure the vast majority of the workforce will answer “Yes”.

And, if you’re like most people, you have probably also experienced the frustration of working with someone who made your own job more difficult. Let’s discuss a controversial issue; that has many wondering, “Why don’t they just fire the person”?

Many bad employees are still on the job. Do you have co-workers that deserve to be fired? Whenever you think someone at your job deserves to be fired; consider the following 8 reasons, the bad employee is still on the job.

1. The boss feels sorry for the employee.
In such cases, a boss is sympathetic to the employee, and not to those whom the employee’s actions may be hurting. The boss may worry that if the bad employee is fired, he or she won’t be able to find another job. If the employee needs the money to support a family, has health problems, or has recently experienced another life challenge, the boss may feel it’s best to let the employee keep the job.

2. The employee knows something.
The employee might know something embarrassing about the boss, but it’s more likely he or she simply knows historical information that the company needs today. For example, if the employee is the only one who knows how to operate an ancient piece of equipment that the company still uses, your employer may need to keep the employee around. Sometimes an employee knows more than the boss.

3. The employee has everybody fooled.
In their book “Snakes in Suits,” Paul Babiak, Ph.D. and Robert D. Hare, Ph.D., explain that a surprising number of workplaces employ psychopaths. While psychopaths make up 1 percent of the general population, Babiak and Hare found that 3.5 percent of the executives they worked with “fit the profile of the psychopath.” Psychopathic employees are pathological liars who get away with doing little or no work.

They charm senior management with their “leadership potential,” con co-workers into covering for them, and successfully blame others for their mistakes. They only care about themselves and paint a pretty picture in the office.

4. The boss is afraid of the employee. Yes it happens.
If there are concerns that an employee might sue the company or possibly become violent if fired, it may take longer to let that employee go. If there’s a threat, the company needs to consult with legal or security experts and put appropriate measures in place before letting a bad employee go.

5. The bad employee may not perform well on the job, but may be golf, smoking or drinking buddy for your boss, or may simply be someone that senior management enjoys having around the office. Is it fair? “No”, but it occurs often.

6. The boss thinks it could be worse.
Even if everyone knows the employee is not pulling his or her weight, management may fear that a replacement could do an even worse job. This fear is compounded if the company has previously had other people perform more poorly in the position.

7. The employee has a relationship with someone higher up.
A relationship doesn’t necessarily have to be romantic or family, although either is a possibility. In many cases, the relationship that keeps someone from getting fired is friendship. Sometimes a boss may have romantic intentions with or towards a co-worker but he or she keeps it hidden.

8. The boss doesn’t want to go through the hiring process.
It takes time to review applications, conduct interviews, check references, and train a new person. The boss may believe it’s easier to deal with the consequences when the bad employee messes up rather than deal with hiring a replacement. Management often gets lazy and lets things slide.

We live a society that has many different types of personalities. Many of us will agree, that will never change. Sometimes there is a price we all pay to make a living.