Have You Heard Of Work Zombies In The Workplace Before?

Work zombies are found in all professional environments. We recognize them immediately because they always seem to be very busy. But in reality, all work zombies do is delegate responsibility to other people. They are ineffective and bad teammates, but somehow know how to gain the trust of their bosses. This, of course, results in toxic and unproductive environments where they know how to survive perfectly.

In the beginning, we can imagine that the term “work zombie” refers to the employees who work long hours or are gradually automated by redundant tasks, low motivation and poor recognition or compensation.

However, there is a clear difference between employees who are very busy and those who are just wandering around the premises looking for something to do. That difference is productivity. Some believe that this low performance is due to a lack of commitment. But those who have analyzed this type of behavior, ask another question: h hy container enterprises this kind of workers?

First of all, we should mention that work zombies are not only found in public offices. This type of people also works in private companies, universities, factories and any other type of business. How do they survive? What strategies and characteristics define them?

A working zombie has few skills. However, they manage to survive in any job because they gain the trust of their leader. In the same way, they do not draw much attention to themselves, despite the fact that they are often the toxic element in the work environment.

How to recognize a working zombie

In 2004, a Gallup survey was conducted to evaluate the involvement of various companies in the United States and Europe. The results revealed what experts defined as a “cultural and business crisis”.

Almost 64% of employees say that they do not feel committed to their work or to the company’s goals. Their only concern is to meet their expectations and collect the paycheck. According to them, this is due to the low recognition they receive, as well as the bad relationship they have with middle or higher management.

Of the remaining 36%, 15% would qualify as work zombies. Businesses know they exist. But even though many consider them to be “bad apples”, some believe that it is normal to find them in all companies. Therefore, they accept them only as a normal part of the workplace, something they can not do anything about.

Kevin Daum, a well-known author, business expert and Smart Business Magazine columnist, defines a work zombie as something we should be more aware of. Sometimes the company overlooks that these employees are the ones who affect productivity and the workplace the most.

Five features of work zombies

• They leave before their shift is over: they always manage to sneak out. The working day is not over yet, but they are already laying down their things, calmly and cheerfully. They are also proud of what they do because they assume this behavior is acceptable.
• They love gossip : One of their most important motivations for going to work is gossip. They eat up rumors and enjoy knowing the latest information.
• They are always bearers of bad news : A working zombie has a special ability to find out anything. However, it always seems to be negative : dismissals, problems, sanctions, etc.

• They are never in a hurry : Labor zombies are never in a hurry. They always arrive late, take longer breaks than usual, and never hesitate to leave the workplace before everyone else.
• They lack ambition : Work zombies do not lack talent or skills, only ambition. Their only goal is to survive at work and let time pass. The attitude of “not doing anything in the morning and handing it over to the afternoon” discounts others and makes them feel uncomfortable.

Why do companies allow work zombies to exist in the workplace?

We pointed out that work zombies are found in all companies at the beginning of the article. But why do companies tolerate these people? Well, first of all, it should be noted that not all companies allow these people to influence their image and productivity for too long in their company.

However, a large part of the workforce consists of these people because:

• Some companies do not have performance appraisal systems in place. Also, not all team leaders look at them twice. Most work zombies are friendly to everyone and rarely cause conflicts.
• It could also be because the leader of the company is also a working zombie. Believe it or not, many people speak for functionality and not for innovation. They prefer professional people who do not cause problems and only limit themselves to “being”. In this sense, they only want people who do not argue, contribute ideas, or cause any change.

To conclude, whether we like it or not, work zombies will continue to exist in companies if the policy does not change. In the same way, they will thrive if there is no real commitment to efficiency. In the meantime , you should avoid getting infected by this virus and the attitude, so that you do not allow yourself to become a work zombie.