Discussion (200-250 words)

1 | P a g e Teen Behavior Isn’t Just in High School; It’s Also at Work Whining, tattling and tantrums are just a few of the ‘adolescent’ behaviors employees say they have seen from colleagues By Dana Wilkie 8/25/2015 Whining. Pouting. Tattling. Throwing tantrums. Refusing to share. Making a face behind someone’s back. Sound like preschool? It’s actually what CareerBuilder calls “adolescent” behaviors in the workplace, and according to the company’s recent survey, 3 in 4 workers report that they’ve witnessed such childishness among co-workers. The survey, conducted by Harris Poll, canvassed 2,532 hiring and human resource managers and 3,039 employees between May 14 and June 3, 2015. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.95 percentage points for the managerial pool and plus or minus 1.78 percentage points for the employee pool. “Some degree of what we may consider ‘adolescent’ conduct can be harmless, enabling employees to let off some steam and even promote a sense of camaraderie in the office,” said Rosemary Haefner, chief human resources officer at CareerBuilder. “But … actions like spreading rumors, tattling and forming cliques to exclude others can be perceived as mean-spirited, bullying and even harassment.” Top 10 Adolescent Behaviors in the Workplace When asked which childlike behaviors they’ve seen colleagues display at work, respondents gave the following answers: 1. Whining (55 percent say they have seen this). 2. Pouting over something (46 percent). 3. Tattling on a co-worker (44 percent) 4. Playing a prank on a co-worker (36 percent). 5. Making a face behind someone’s back (35 percent). 6. Forming a clique (32 percent). 7. Starting a rumor about a co-worker (30 percent). 8. Storming out of the room (29 percent). 9. Throwing a tantrum (27 percent). 10. Refusing to share resources with others (23 percent). Real-Life Examples Respondents gave Harris Poll real-life examples of the childish behavior they had witnessed, including: • A company owner who threw tantrums, yelled and slammed doors when he didn't get his way. 2 | P a g e • An employee who hid to avoid work duties. • Workers who ate other employees’ food from the company refrigerator. • Someone who blocked parking spots to prevent other employees from parking closer to the front door. • Someone who gossiped about all of his direct reports, then pretended to be their advocate. • A worker who continually pulled up inappropriate content on her cellphone and showed it to her colleagues. A separate CareerBuilder survey conducted earlier in 2015 found that some adolescent behaviors can reduce an employee’s chances of being promoted, including: • Negativity: A majority of employers (62 percent) said they’re less likely to promote workers who have a negative or pessimistic attitude, which can be demonstrated through whining and pouting. • Vulgar language: More than half of employers (51 percent) considered the use of vulgar language to be an indication that an employee wasn’t ready for a promotion. • Gossip: Nearly half of employers (44 percent) said they’d think twice before moving an employee who participates in office gossip up the ranks. • Sloppiness: More than one-third of employers (36 percent) said workers who don’t clean up after themselves—for instance, in the company kitchen—hurt their chances for promotion. Dana Wilkie is an online editor/manager for SHRM.