Staff deem co-workers lazy

A survey by Investors in People has found 75% of bosses and 80% of staff think that some of their colleagues are “dead wood”, with the main reason being laziness, according to a report by BBC.

Close to half of the employees saying they work closely with someone who they thought to be incompetent and four out of ten said that their managers remained indifferent to colleagues who do not contribute.

The three tell-tale signs of people who do not pull their weight are prioritizing personal life over work, rejecting extra responsibilities and claiming colleagues’ work for their own.

The survey noted that “dead wood” may have a stark effect on their colleagues’ physical and mental wellness, and it was also reported that employees have to work longer hours to cover for idle colleagues, and hence feel underappreciated.

However, Nick Parfitt, the spokesperson for Human Resources firm, Cubiks, said that an unproductive worker may not necessarily be lazy. "They may have genuine personal problems or are being asked to do a job that they have not been given the training to do,” he said. "The employer must look out for the warning signs of a worker becoming de-motivated - hold regular conversations and appraisals with staff." Parfitt has also added that truly lazy employers may have to be shown the door. "The cost of sacking someone can be colossal and damaging to team morale but sometimes it maybe the only choice."