5 Tips For Managing A Lazy Employee

Research shows people waste more than an hour of work time each day. What should you do with a lazy person you supervise who doesn’t get their work done?

Watch My Video

There are all types of personalities in every workplace. Unfortunately, some of them exhibit difficult and disruptive behaviors. Learn how to manage each personality type by watching the course, “Managing Difficult People.” It will change the way you look at…and work with your colleagues.

Many managers expect natural breaks during the workday, but an ongoing lack of focus creates real productivity loss and rising labor costs. Research shows employees may waste over an hour daily, which hurts team performance and business results. The key is not to ignore the issue but to address it early through clear communication, better expectations, and structured management. Leaders need to understand root causes, whether they involve low motivation, unclear roles, or personal challenges, and then respond with practical steps like resetting tasks, adding structure, and tracking progress. When handled well, managers can improve employee engagement, restore accountability, and strengthen overall workplace productivity, while avoiding the negative impact that one disengaged worker can have on the entire team.

• Managers should address employee productivity issues early to avoid long-term performance problems.
• A Paychex survey shows workers waste over an hour daily, hurting workplace productivity.
• Private, direct communication helps uncover root causes of poor employee performance.
• Managers should listen without blame to improve employee engagement and trust.
• Resetting roles or tasks can boost motivation and improve job performance.
• Clear expectations and deadlines improve time management and reduce confusion.
• Written and verbal instructions support accountability and consistent work output.
• Structured schedules can improve focus when employees abuse flexible work policies.
• Ongoing performance monitoring helps prevent repeated productivity issues.
• One disengaged employee can impact team productivity and overall business success.

employee productivity, workplace productivity, time management at work, employee performance issues, managing difficult employees, employee engagement strategies, workplace accountability, improve team performance, reduce wasted time at work, employee focus at work, leadership and management skills, performance management strategies, workplace efficiency, employee motivation at work, managing poor performance