How to Handle a Jealous and Hostile Co-Worker

A hostile or jealous co-worker can create a miserable work environment.

A jealous or hostile co-worker can make the workplace uncomfortable, and can make focusing on your work difficult. Many employees spend the majority of their day in the workplace rather than at home or on personal errands or hobbies. As a result, an unfriendly or difficult co-worker can create an unpleasant or even hostile work environment.

Instructions

1. 

   A discussion can air out differences.

   Talk to your co-worker and attempt to resolve the issue. Perhaps the hostility you are feeling has nothing to do with you and relates to a personal issue in your co-worker's life. By calmly and rationally discussing what you perceive as hostility, you might be able to resolve the issue by finding that your co-worker was not intending hostility toward you at all. Bringing the topic to discussion might resolve misconceptions the co-worker had about you, which caused the hostility. In either case, a discussion can air out tension and resolve issues.

2. 

   Maintain your positive attitude and work habits despite the hostility of others.

   Ignore your co-worker's bad attitude. If hostility continues after a discussion, maintain your positive attitude and go back to work. Focus on work, and try to ignore the negativity of others.

3. 

   Document hostility and report to supervisors.

   Document specific incidences of hostility, including comments made or unprofessional behavior, and report the behavior to human resources or your supervisor. It, then, becomes the responsibility of the supervisor to resolve the issues by counseling, noting in the employee's file or handling it according to policies in the employee handbook.

4. 

   Sometimes a transfer to get away from the hostile co-worker is necessary.

   Avoid retaliation or negativity. Do not let the behavior or attitude of others negatively affect your performance or behavior. If you feel you cannot focus on your work while in the presence of the hostile co-worker, talk to your supervisor about a transfer out of the department or area.

References

• Boston Globe; How Do You Handle Moody Co-Workers?; Peter Post; 2007
• Lifescript; Co-Worker From Hell? 5 Ways to Deal; Jennifer Gruenemay; 2008