How do you deal with an abrasive co-worker?
John Hall
Updated on March 20, 2026
If you find yourself working alongside an unbearable colleague, here are seven ways to handle the situation.
- Act impeccably.
- Observe the office dynamics.
- Be careful.
- Don’t let them sap your energy.
- Restore yourself outside of work.
- Know when to get help.
- Identify your limits.
What would you do if a co-worker does something that upsets you?
What to Say When Coworkers Are Angry With You
- You can ignore it and maintain your positive outlook.
- You can seethe in silence.
- You can rip away at this person to anyone who will listen.
- You can wait for just the right moment to get your revenge.
What is an abrasive personality?
An abrasive person is someone with harsh, cold, and direct behavior. This behavior pattern reflects in how the individual interacts with people around him/her. People with abrasive personalities are mostly termed unfriendly, egoistic, harsh, and aggressive. Generally, there are two types of abrasive personality.
Why are my co-workers so bad at work?
Oddly enough, sometimes it isn’t the truly terrible employees who cause the real problems. They’re easy to spot — and deal with. Sometimes the real problems are caused by employees who appear to be doing a satisfactory job but are actually slowly destroying the morale, attitude, and performance of other employees.
What are the different types of problem coworkers?
Some of these types of problematic coworkers include the negative coworker, the overly competitive co-worker, the gossip, the bully, and the person who pushes off work. Hopefully, your office doesn’t have too many of these types of people, but if it does here’s how to—almost, anyway—deal with working alongside them.
Is it a problem to have a competitive coworker?
Having a competitive coworker can be an advantage if he/she is competitive in the right way for their industry such as in law, PR, or sales. Healthy competition in the workplace can even encourage people to work harder. However, it’s a problem if the person is overly competitive with other people at work and doesn’t offer to help.
Is there such thing as a horrible co-worker?
Warning! horrible co-worker ahead! Every work place has one. That absolutely impossible, difficult, nasty, backbiting individual who makes it his/her personal mission in life to belittle everyone else and make their life a living hell.