What should you do if a colleague misbehaves?
An employee who is not working is ultimately the employer's responsibility and the employer must address the problems, otherwise it can lead to serious work environment problems. It is, of course, a good idea to start by talking to the person in question, if possible. If they have staff responsibilities, perhaps it is possible to bring this up in a staff meeting? It is good if they hear the criticism and have a chance to explain and correct themselves.
If talking to the colleague doesn't work, and if you have a safety representative or trade union representative at your workplace, contact them and tell them what the situation is. Their position of trust makes it easier for them to raise problems with the employer. The safety representative has great powers to demand that the employer takes measures for the working environment. If you have neither a safety representative nor a trade union representative, you should contact your colleague's manager, and if he or she does not listen or understand, you should go higher up in the hierarchy. The ultimate responsibility for the work environment lies with the CEO if it is a company in the private sector, the DG if it is a government agency, and the committee, board or council if it is a municipality or region. When presenting your case, distinguish between the case and the person. Do not describe the colleague as lazy or careless, but be very specific about what it means for the business and for your work environment. Focus on behavior and work performance, for example, "I cannot prepare my documents on time, because I am waiting for materials from this person that they are not delivering".
The employer is then responsible for raising the issue with the colleague, finding out the cause and seeing what solutions are available. Sometimes the help of occupational health services is needed. It may also be a matter of reducing the workload or giving the person other tasks. The employer also has the option of imposing a disciplinary sanction, such as a written warning. The ultimate remedy is dismissal due to cooperation difficulties, but in this case the employer must have made a real effort to investigate the problems and provided support, coaching, work adaptation, possible rehabilitation and explored relocation possibilities.
If you would like more support in this matter, contact Naturvetarna's member advice service.