by Matt Bird

Created on: May 11, 2009

All too often employees complain about their bosses. I should know, I've done plenty of griping myself. But the bosses can have it hard, too, and there are some employees who just can't cut it, regardless of what field they're in.

Here's a list of ten of the worst employees any boss can have, in no particular order. (Yes, they're all pretty bad in their own way.)

- Slackers. These are the guys and gals who shirk their responsibilities and do as little work as possible to scrape by. You can't count on them in a pinch because they just don't care about what they're doing. On the plus side, these are some of the most obvious troublesome employees, and will be disposed of quickly.

- Liars. Liars cover up their mistakes and act as though all is well - which is well and good until the mistakes come back and bite the company in the butt. Hopefully when this happens the liars are exposed for what they really are and dutifully given the boot.

- Whiners. It's acceptable to complain a little bit about work. In lunch break rooms it's practically expected that you'll find something to groan about. It's not acceptable, however, for somebody to complain so much about every element of their job that it crosses into the workplace itself and affects their performance. Whiners will use any excuse not to do the job - or not do it right, anyway - and thus don't deserve the position in the first place.

- Butt-kissers. As a boss it's nice to have somebody praise you every now and then. Unfortunately butt-kissers have a tendency to glorify your every action in an effort to curry praise, and bosses may soon come to think they can do no wrong. Bad idea. Bosses are human, too, and they need the constructive criticism of their employees to improve their managerial skills. Butt-kissers allow no room for improvement, and all too often are doing the butt-kissing to cover up their own inadequacies.

- Thieves. Need I say much else? Somebody who steals from the company doesn't belong there. Rather he or she may find a place in a jail cell.

- Backstabbers. They'll agree with everything you say to your face and then slag on you behind your back. They want to please everybody in order to reach their own ends, and then will dispose of their former friends without a care in the world - possibly taking your job as boss along the way.

- Instigators. These employees get angry easily and will go to great lengths to pick a fit, especially with people they don't like. Tension in the workplace

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