Ever since school days, we have known about such a category of people who like to complain about their comrades to "bosses". Snitches are unpleasant people, careerists who, for the sake of comfortable conditions and promotion, are ready to report on their colleagues to the boss. How to behave if such a person wound up in your team?

How does a snitch behave and why does he do it?

Snitches usually seem like quite nice people. They can win over a person, charm him with their kindness and ability to listen.

However, a very self-serving colleague is hiding behind this mask, who is not averse to listening to how you pour out your soul, and then conveying it to the director. All your complaints, problems and other "dirty linen" will certainly become known to the authorities.

IMPORTANT! If nothing happens in the office, he, as a true specialist in this field, will begin to create informational events on his own, setting his colleagues against each other.

The larger the team, the more difficult it is to control this process: the effect of a damaged phone appears, and it becomes impossible to find the source of all troubles.

"Woodpecker" watches the artificially created situation from the outside and enjoys ... And then goes to the boss's office and reports to him about everything.

Why is he doing this? There may be several reasons, and not all of them lie on the surface. Let's take a closer look at this controversial issue.

• If a snitch only denounces you, it is worth considering if a black cat ran between you once upon a time. You probably do not remember a recent quarrel, or you simply underestimate the scale of this person’s resentment. The way out of the situation, of course, is not the most decent, but such is the psychology of the weak and embittered - he will make every effort to destroy your reputation and break faith in himself.
• The man is just pursuing his career. From childhood, he dreamed that one day he would sit in the boss's chair, everyone would knock before disturbing him. Snitches often do not have enough of their own intellectual and moral resources to break through to the pinnacle of power on their own. Therefore, they are forced to resort to tricks. It is much easier to ingratiate yourself with the director in order to hint at a promotion when the opportunity arises.
  

  BY THE WAY! The appearance of such a person in the team is a signal that your manager is also not very professional if he allows employees who consider denunciations to be the norm and a valuable quality.

• The reason for this behavior, as you may have guessed, lies in low self-esteem and inability to protect oneself. Scammers would be happy to live by the rules, but they fail. They constantly need a patron who, at the right time, will ensure safety and bring them closer to the feeder. Unfortunately, there are quite a lot of such people, especially in large corporations, where the competition is the highest. And it's hard to put them down. These people are often .

How to calculate a snitch?

There are two types of rats in the team. Let's look at them in more detail to figure out how to easily spot a snitch at work and take action.

1. The usual talker. It is practically the soul of the company. Everyone is happy for him, he is happy to rotate in society and is ready to listen to everyone. Perhaps he himself tells something about his life. The trouble is that this type of informer is not at all able to keep secrets to himself (especially strangers). Cunning bosses quickly figure out talkers and try to ingratiate themselves with them in order to obtain information about other colleagues in exchange for all sorts of privileges.
   

   ADVICE! Watch for talkative people in your team and try to never discuss your personal life with them again.

2. Thoughtful snitch. This person is absolutely not naive, like the previous type: he understands that he is doing an unseemly thing, he just allowed himself to behave in this way. This is his way of survival, his psychology. Take a closer look at the most notorious careerists in your office to identify the snitch. Who dreams of a dizzying career? Who suddenly and not quite deservedly receives bonuses and promotions? Who knows how to find an approach to absolutely any person - from a downtrodden introvert to a leader? Most likely, he will be the cause of misfortunes.

You can find a rat in the team by one more sign. Snitch never expresses his opinion in conversation. He will dodge a direct answer to the last, limiting himself to general phrases. It looks like neutrality, but in fact, the "woodpecker" is afraid that his words can be used against him.

How to teach a snitch a lesson at work?

So, you have already found out that there is a black sheep in your team. And you know exactly who it is. Isn't it time to punish the shameless informer?

BY THE WAY! You can not ignore the fact that your team wound up a scammer. It can start with harmless things and end up with something more serious.

However, people sometimes get lost when faced with outright rudeness and arrogance. Here are some simple tips on how to get rid of a rat, or at least keep yourself safe.

• The main rule is this: don't get too intimate with a snitch. Discuss as neutral topics as possible, and then you will be safe. Don't gossip about. your colleagues, do not complain about the unfair decisions of the boss. Discuss bad weather, new movies, food. Nothing personal. In addition, this behavior will help to avoid.
• Try to generate gossip yourself. Spread a deliberately false rumor about yourself. The main thing is that it be believable. Tell your imaginary secret to only one person, the snitch, if you suspect him and want to expose him. After a while, the whole office will be talking about this news. Then you can already draw a conclusion about the unreliability of the employee. You can make the experiment a group one, let the other suspects also participate.
  

  IMPORTANT! There is no need to arrange a lynching, just take note of who you should not share private information with.

• It is useless to talk with the boss about the fact that denunciations are simply unacceptable in the modern world. Apparently, the director is quite satisfied with the distribution of roles in the team. Be smart and prudent: if you start discussing this with the boss, you may be hunted down.
• Use the snitch for personal gain. Start spreading the word about your strengths, benefits, career plans (only for the benefit of the organization where you currently work). Sooner or later, this information will reach the authorities, which will definitely play into your hands. Fighting snitches at work is better for yourself.

Useful video

I suggest watching a video that reveals the psychological portrait of a snitch:

Remember that gossip can ruin your career, hurt your personal life, and tarnish your good name. Do not be frank in private with people who can set you up. Come to work to perform direct duties: this will be the best illustration of your professionalism and personal qualities.

If you have not yet encountered such a phenomenon as snitching at work, then you will inevitably get acquainted with this type of struggle for a “place in the sun”. The phenomenon is not uncommon and unpleasant for the entire team, because it introduces a shade of nervousness both into production and personal relationships of employees. And if you yourself have become a victim of such an earpiece, it would be very nice to know how to prevent it from ruining your reputation in the eyes of your superiors and the team, how to punish a snitch at work so that no one else would be disinclined to engage in this kind of "solo work".

So, how to punish a snitch at work

Calculate the informer it is possible by external signs: he likes to be the initiator of the conversation, but he never expresses a clear opinion on the issue under discussion. He speaks in general phrases, in the third person (“there is an opinion that ...”, “they say that ...”). He is pleasant in communication, sociable, always in the center of events. If someone's bones are washed or a conflict is planned somewhere, he is right there. He has no time to work - he is at his post.

About the good: if they knock on you, it means that in the eyes of the authorities you are something of yourself, otherwise why would the "woodpecker" try to denigrate you? Since a snitch denounces you, it means that the very fact of your existence stung him, and this is already the beginning of a successful career. And although this is little consolation in a situation where, thanks to the “well-wisher”, you are under the close attention of the management, you can even benefit from this: work with a spark, and the authorities will have to notice it. And even then your boss himself will think about how to punish the informer who misled him about you.

Some think that by offering their friendship to an informer, they will protect themselves from the results of his activities. Alas! Born to report makes no exceptions for anyone. He will regard your friendship as a chance to get to know you better in order to tell more about you. And it is useless to appeal to his conscience: he will not understand you, he does not consider informing something shameful. If you don't want your boss to gossip about you, don't say too much about yourself . Do not feed the curiosity of your employees, do not give food for conjecture and fiction to the informant.

Provide information in a dosed and beneficial way. Tell, for example, that in your free time you study a foreign language, that you read special literature in order to improve your professional level. Hint in between that you have strong patrons, this will add points to you in the eyes of the boss. But do not overdo it: the boss may ask you to solve a serious problem through your connections, and you may not be able to help him.

Thinking through the moves, like in chess, you can put the informer in a puddle. Drain , for example, in a general conversation in the presence of a "woodpecker" some misinformation , with which he immediately runs to the authorities. When it turns out that there was a "misinformation", the anger of the authorities will fall on the head of the informant. A couple more such punctures, and the reputation of the informer in the eyes of the chief will perish forever.

If the informer does not hide his vile essence and runs into the manager’s office without embarrassing anyone, the method of dealing with him should be just as frank: ignore the "woodpecker" at all levels, except for production. Don't talk to him, don't make any requests, don't answer his questions, look through him. No one can endure such an attitude for long. Usually, six months are enough to bring the informer to dismissal.

In fact, only the boss can be guaranteed to eliminate the "woodpecker". He just needs to stop encouraging whistleblowing and punish the snitch. But there are few such principled leaders, most of them, although they do not like “masters of artistic knocking,” want to know what is happening in the team behind their backs, and secretly encourage this type of office art. It is difficult for an ordinary employee to deal with an informer, but you can try to deprive him of reasons for creativity: do not be late, do not skip, do not hang out on social networks during working hours. In short, observe labor discipline, and the “office orderly” will simply have nothing to impute to you.

Snitches are not born, they are made. But still, in order to convey, you need to have a special warehouse of character. Only in cheap detective stories does a smart detective catch someone on something illegal and offer an alternative: either you work for me, or you go to jail. And that's it, information flowed to the opera. This is nonsense, after a while the compromising evidence will become obsolete. In addition, a decent person will choose the second - prison. Well, if the detainee agrees to "help" the authorities, then he was already ready to become an informant. He was simply pushed into it.

The opera, by the way, offers to cooperate with almost all those arrested, but not everyone agrees. As a rule, blackmail is appropriate only if the person is constantly under control. It happens that in pre-trial detention centers operatives recruit juvenile rapists. We, they say, will hide your article from the cellmates, put you with inexperienced pioneers, and you will report: who says what, and who has what prohibited items in the cell. And since the rapist, in case of refusal, expects unpleasant (for someone like) manipulations with the sphincter of the rectum, he accepts the offer. Basically, people themselves go to contact with the administration. Someone - to have smoke and tea, others - for dates with relatives, others - because they are embittered at the whole world and, by their nature, rotten, they cannot but knock. Those who sold themselves to operas for a pack of smoke and a mess of tea are the most primitive and I can easily redeem a gay. Usually these are repeatedly convicted prisoners. They are placed with inexperienced pioneers. And recidivists, using cheap prestige among newcomers, act as an adviser. Not only will they ask about the crimes of a cellmate, but they will also recommend to write a confession, promising that they will release him on bail.

The opera in prison is imprisoned according to the regime. Pervokhodov, planers and special officers separately. So, if everyone in the cell is convicted for the first time, and a “sitting” prisoner with outstanding convictions is sitting with them, you should be wary. The sexots described above continue to knock with great enthusiasm even after their release. And since, due to limited mental abilities, they cannot commit a major crime, they hunt on trifles. When such an instance comes across, the opera, remembering its past merits, can “smear off” his person.

The situation is more complicated with the so-called volunteers. They knock because they despise the gray mass. They consider themselves superior to others. They are consumed by jealousy. They have a mess in their heads from a sense of false justice and personal meanness. Such, only to get the opportunity to make someone bad, convey with inspiration. This category literally burns at work, just to find out information from a specific person. At the request of the opera, they can easily sit in a punishment cell with an object of interest to the administration. It happens that their intelligence is more powerful and it is quite difficult to calculate them. It's in jail.

In the correct (“black”) zone, it is not so difficult to identify the informant. Although his contact with the operative, of course, takes place without witnesses. And the sexot will always open, saying that they called for a registered letter. But after all, everyone knows about the “kumovskayas”, but they don’t get in touch with them. It happens, of course, if someone "burned out" on his denunciation or drunkenness, informants are severely beaten, "lowered", killed, but infrequently. Who wants to get extra time?

On the other hand, law-abiding citizens only benefit from informers. But people hate them. Status plays an important role here. If you are a policeman and have infiltrated a gang, then you are a hero scout. And if without shoulder straps, then - fu, informer-informer!

However, in Russia, every second - sexot. There are more than a million prisoners in the zones and prisons, they did not surrender themselves. In the "red" colonies, the people knock without exception, running to the headquarters in a race. Look at the enthusiasm with which our people responded to the call of the authorities after the terrorist attacks to report suspicious neighbors. True, the authorities themselves were not happy then. They weren't told anything specific, one district police officer had to take a hundred calls a day: a neighbor looked askance at a neighbor and immediately fell into the category of suspicious.

In each team there is a character who conveys to the management all the nuances of the life of colleagues. In some communities, informers are dealt with simply - boycott, "dark" or worse. But is it right? Cosmo asked Yuri Virovets, President of HeadHunter, to comment on several stories of whistleblowers.

Sasha suddenly appeared in our small editorial office. By lunchtime, he managed to joke twice about his knee-like hairstyle, thus joining the team. When he criticized the leadership the next day, we were convinced that he could be trusted. Such conversations with a discussion of what the boss came in and whether the boss was sleeping with Masha became the norm. Somehow the boss called me to her and scolded me - they say, it is not good to envy other people's earnings. A couple of days later, the layout designer was explained that discussing the personal life of the management is dangerous for a career. At the planning meeting, they made a remark to everyone and said that we are better at boltology than the main professions. After heated discussions, we decided that there was a wiretap in the office. I was already at the stage of transfer to another company, and then a colleague entered the office of the boss just at the moment when Sasha was throwing out new details of our conversations, adding a little gag.

Expert comment

The most effective way to fight is to keep your mouth shut in the presence of this person. Alternatively, you can leak the necessary information to him, turning from the suffering side into the active one and trying to control the authorities. But it is dangerous to play these games, an experienced boss immediately recognizes primitive manipulation. Therefore, it is better not to talk too much. For many, this is already a feat.

Leonid , the undersigned

The owners of the casino, where my friend Leonid worked, screwed an offer box to the wall, which they immediately dubbed the “knocker”. For a month, almost every employee contributed their figurative five kopecks there. They complained about trifles and anonymously, but a month later a worthwhile message was finally fished out of the box. Leonid matured for a serious step, who told how one senior manager comes to work drunk, the second meets with a croupier girl, which is forbidden, and the guards, instead of watching surveillance cameras, walk along the corridor. In general, Leonid remembered all the sins of those around him and did not forget ... to subscribe. Apparently, a song has firmly stuck in his memory, in which there are lines: “I am not a closet and not a museum - to keep secrets from friends.” So the culprit of the showered fines and the cancellation of the New Year's corporate party became known to all honest people. The result is salt in the tea, the light in the toilet turned off, the sleeves painted with a pen and a complete boycott from the whole team. “And you didn’t have to sign up!” - one of the croupiers answered for everyone, once again sewing up Leonid's leg before the change.

Expert comment

In such a situation, the only way out is to quit. Moreover, it is desirable to change the field of activity. If Leonid goes to work in another casino, then the rumor about his "features" will quickly reach there. And everything will start all over again.

Zhenya just a secretary

About a month after her arrival, a colleague told Secretary Zhenya in the smoking room that there was a scammer named Sergey in the team. Once she came to work a little out of shape and, over morning coffee, told how friends had come to her the day before. The chief arrived, and Sergey immediately ran to him “with a report”. When Zhenya brought tea to the chief, he immediately took the bull by the horns: “Well, tell me how you rested with your friends yesterday.” - “And where did you get the idea that I was with friends yesterday? Zhenya was not taken aback. “I didn’t tell you anything…” The chief was embarrassed and kept silent. After some time, one of the employees suddenly announced that they had a snitch in their team. If someone does not know, then this is ... Zhenya. Moreover, Sergey, already familiar to us, gave her such an idea, applying impeccable logic: “Who we most often communicate with the boss? Right! Secretary." Zhenya did not prove who was the true informer in their team - she quit.

Expert comment

Professional prospects in an organization where the boss allows himself such things are doubtful for a young employee. Career growth involves periodic transitions from one company to another, but what can an employee of an organization built on intrigue and intrigue offer a new employer? This is a direct path to professional degradation. So Zhenya did the right thing.

Olya , a victim of pedagogy

Olya worked as a teacher in a small school. Long corridors did not allow to hide from the director's all-seeing eye. And if you caught the eye, then they will invite you to the office. The conversation algorithm was as follows: the conversation began with work matters, then unobtrusively moved on to discussing more intimate issues: how is your mother’s health, and who is the young man who picked you up from work yesterday, etc. During one such heart-to-heart conversation, she told Olya : "Since we're talking about Masha ... She doesn't like that I sent you to the conference, and not her." In response, she demanded the same frankness. Olya tried her best not to react in any way and, throwing “Okay, I’ll take it into account”, retreated from the office. But over time, she began to notice that the attitude of other teachers towards her was changing. There were no open conflicts and scandals at school, but the atmosphere became tense, and it is much easier to manage people. This is what the sociable headmistress used.

Expert comment

In this situation, Olya would have to try to laugh it off, and then, if uncomfortable questions continue, clearly define the boundaries. True, you need to be prepared for an inadequate reaction from the director, who may dislike the employee. In a bad scenario, this can even lead to dismissal. To prevent this from happening, it is worth finding like-minded people and speaking out against it openly.

Of course, it is impossible to completely protect yourself from informers. If a person wants to denounce you, he will go and denounce. Even the habit of keeping your mouth shut will not save you from ill-wishers - if you do not talk too much, they will come up with something for you. When you're alone with an angry boss who scolds you for something inside the office, don't admit to anything! Little did they say about you. Once you confess, the boss will be sure that all the slander against you is true. It is best to muster up the courage and directly ask where the boss got such information.

Another ethical question. Is it possible to be frank with the boss? No one but you will answer it. However, even when you decide to tell your boss about something confidential, ask yourself what drives you. If a banal desire to take revenge on a harmful colleague, it is better to refrain. But if you see that the actions of the object of your denunciation cause serious harm to the company, then you can act. But it's still best to do it out in the open. C

From the fields comes

MAXIM NAYMUSHIN, lawyer:

Whistleblowing is not regulated by the Labor Code, but something can still be done. If an employee finds out that he was slandered, he can file a lawsuit for the protection of honor, dignity and business reputation, demanding a refutation and compensation for moral damage from the offender. If colleagues do not distribute information in particularly large batches, you can send a memo to the person who was told too much and put a mark on its acceptance on your copy (for example, from the secretary). It should describe the situation, specific facts, you can ask for an internal investigation. His materials can later become evidence in court - they, evidence, in any case, should be stocked up in advance.

Chef's help

ANNA SKUPCHENKO, director of a chain of grocery stores:“Denunciations and gossip help. I don’t run to deal with the one who was complained about, but I look at him. And if the situation repeats, I know who might be to blame.”

DENIS POLOVINKIN, General Director of the entertainment complex:“I don’t welcome squealing, but I don’t forbid it either. If they value me as a leader, they will come and tell them themselves.”

TATYANA MOCHALOVA, project manager of the media holding:“Recently, I was informed that one of the employees is using social networks and playing games. I made a work plan for him and began to control. In case of failure, the system administrator will disable access to resources.

Natalia Zhilyakova
PHOTO: GETYY IMAGES/FOTOBANK.RU

Work plays an important role in our life - for each his own. For some, it serves only as a means of making money, while for others it becomes a matter of a lifetime. If you are doing what you really love - you are a real lucky person! What could be better than an activity that helps you realize your potential and reveal all your talents? However, sometimes it happens that a fly in the ointment is found in a barrel of honey, which can spoil the enjoyment of the working process. An important component of life is society, and our mood often depends on the people around us. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to gather employees in one company, each of which would have only positive qualities. This is especially true for large corporations with a large staff. The bosses have to make a difficult choice between character and professionalism, and most often the latter is preferred - while the manager can only turn a blind eye to the difficult character of a colleague. As a result, such colleagues use their position and do what they want. It is they who are able to spoil our lives in order, being the cause of daily spoiled mood and constant stress. How to teach a lesson to a work colleague who is annoying with his rudeness and arrogance? There are several effective ways to help you put down an annoying employee.

If a colleague is a “thorn”

1. Try taking a picky co-worker out to lunch, and over a cup of coffee, calmly discuss the situation, talking face-to-face about the issue that concerns you. Directness and frankness on your part, coupled with a trusting attitude, in most cases is a very effective technique.
2. Reduce tense situations and skirmishes with a colleague to a joke, or even "poke fun" at him, showing that you are not offended by his attacks. Faced with your calmness and equanimity, he will understand that you are “too tough for him”, and he will quickly get bored with this business.
3. If the bully begins, among other things, to speak negatively about the work, listen to him to the end. Then, if you're lucky, you can turn that information against him.
4. If your colleague is smart and experienced, and finds fault with you on business, do not rush to bicker and argue. Take note of his opinion and think - maybe he only wants the best for you, but due to his persistent or even harsh nature, did you take the behavior of a colleague for aggression? This also often happens. Watch him, maybe he just has a peculiar "bully" manner of communication. In this case, you will have to get used to it. The main thing is not to create negativity in your relationship on your part. Be balanced and reasonable.

How to teach a whistleblower a lesson?

1. If your colleague is extremely hostile and tries to get you fired by denunciations to superiors, he clearly sees you as a competitor. This behavior needs to be rooted out. In order for the spiteful critic not to have a chance to “wash your bones” again and again, reduce communication with him to a minimum, or better be completely silent. No wonder they say that silence is golden. Discuss all personal matters outside the office, and at work, try to be as less talkative as possible. Don't give the slightest reason for gossip.
2. A good way to put a slanderer in his place or even get him demoted is a method of disinformation. Inform the scammer knowingly false information, and the more absurd they are, the better. When the authorities realize that they are trying to fool him, your ill-wisher will definitely be unhappy.
3. Do not try to repay a vile colleague with the “same coin” by complaining about him to the manager. It will not lead to anything good, moreover, it is likely that both of you will get a “cap”. Much more reasonable behavior in relation to the informer would be to ignore his antics.
4. Put the slanderer in an unfavorable light in front of the team - tell everyone about his behavior. Scammers are not favored, so perhaps this will discourage him from further doing this.
5. If you like to act decisively and boldly, use harsh, evil humor and irony. So you show the offender that he made a mistake with the choice of the “victim”.

How to behave with boors

1. Mocking and a condescending smile is the best option for dealing with boors. If you hear rudeness, condemnation, or even name-calling, deliberately confirm the words of the offender and repeat them in relation to yourself, only in an exaggerated form. The opponent will immediately feel hurt and powerless, and in an instant he will “go out”.
2. Treat your impudent colleague with emphatic affection and kindness, as if you were dealing with a patient in a psychiatric clinic. Agree with him in everything and speak in a deliberately sweet voice. Such a psychological "straitjacket" will instantly lay siege to a violent colleague.
3. Make an effort and try to overtake a colleague on the career ladder, having achieved a promotion. Then his rudeness will seem like baby talk to you, and you can simply “crush” him like a bug.