It was just another Monday morning when Alex trudged into the office, dreading the long work week ahead. As he walked past his coworker Dan’s desk, he noticed it was empty – that marked the third time Dan had shown up late this month. Alex grabbed his coffee and sat down to tackle the mountain of tasks in his inbox. But he quickly noticed his other coworkers, Bill and Sue, were on YouTube and Facebook instead of working. By noon, Alex had only finished a fraction of his to-do list.

Insubordination is a serious workplace issue that occurs when an employee refuses to comply with a direct order from a supervisor or manager. It is a form of defiance and can have negative consequences for both the individual and the organization. Insubordination can manifest in various ways, such as openly challenging authority, refusing to follow established policies or procedures, or displaying a disrespectful attitude towards superiors.

Managers holding these difficult conversations should prepare to point to specific instances. Perhaps the employee is not taking certain responsibilities seriously. Perhaps they consistently miss important deadlines and don’t seem to be making any effort to improve. Whatever the problem, employers may be able to use performance management software to identify a pattern and not just a single occasion. Has the employee already been asked to fix this problem?