Most people who punch a time clock have at least one horror story about a coworker or supervisor. There's the boss who demands a report be filed weeks before deadline and then sits on it, or the coworker who doesn’t feel guilty about going on vacation before completing his share of a joint project. In fact, according to one study, eight out of 10 workers in America have someone at work who routinely makes life stressful for them. Many interactions are normal, of course -- it's rare that a difficult coworker will actually have a personality disorder. And many types of mental disorders, such as depression, are eminently treatable and shouldn't cause problems at work. But if you have a coworker who can't empathize with others, abuses power and ignores boundaries, creates constant turmoil, is rigid and inflexible, and appears to have a hidden agenda, you may be dealing with someone who has a personality disorder. Can you spot the warning signs?
First published Sep 26, 2002
Last updated Aug 29, 2007
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