Complacency in the workplace—the condition in which employees perform familiar tasks without focus or mindfulness—impacts more than productivity and quality. It can lead to serious safety issues. And research suggests it’s alarmingly common.
When workers become disinterested and just “go through the motions” of doing their jobs, they’re more likely to be careless and even take shortcuts. That can, in turn, lead to problems with product quality which can impact the customer experience if not detected, while requiring rework if they are. Either situation negatively affects overall business performance.
To avoid preventable issues with worker safety, product quality, employee engagement, and other impacts, it’s ideal for managers to work to proactively keep employees focused. At the least, it’s vital to recognize complacency setting in and take prompt action to address it in order to maintain a productive work environment and foster organizational success.
What is Complacency in the Workplace?
Complacency in the workplace is “when you become so secure in your work that you take potentially dangerous shortcuts in your tasks, don’t perform to the same quality as you once did or become unaware of deficiencies,” according to leading career site Indeed.com. It’s also described as an overly relaxed attitude toward work, excessive self-confidence, and “a mindset where you become comfortable with an existing situation and stop looking for potential hazards,” per OSHA.
That’s obviously a bad thing in any company, but is particularly dangerous to workers and others in industries like construction, transportation, warehousing, healthcare, and manufacturing.
Key characteristics of workplace complacency include:
- Lack of Initiative: Employees may only do the bare minimum work required, avoiding extra effort, taking on additional responsibilities, recognizing and solving problems, or proactively contributing ideas.
- Resistance to Change: Workers may display an aversion to change, resisting new processes, technologies, or methods of working, instead preferring to stick to old routines that seem familiar and comfortable.
- Overlooking or Ignoring Potential Risks and Errors: Employees may dismiss or overlook errors and risks, seeing them as unimportant or inevitable, rather than as opportunities for improvement, and generally display a lack of attention to detail.
- Decreased Engagement and Motivation: Team members may no longer feel passionate about their work or organizational goals, leading to a lack of enthusiasm, apathy, and reduced performance.
- Lack of Accountability: Workers may “pass the buck,” refusing to take responsibility for mistakes or failures, shifting blame onto others or external factors, along with a lack of pride in workmanship and concern for quality.
- Stagnation: Complacent employees may show no interest in pursuing professional development, learning new skills, embracing innovations, or advancing in their careers.
Complacency and low engagement levels are costly to organizations in terms of productivity and profitability. That makes it crucial for leadership to take steps to boost commitment, focus, and morale at work during challenging times.
Signs of Complacency at Work
The first step in combating complacency at work is being aware of the risks and recognizing the signs that it may be an issue. Here are six signs of workplace complacency to be on the lookout for.
1. Lack of Motivation or Enthusiasm
One key sign of complacency in the workplace is when an employee (or employees) appears to be “going through the motions” in their job: doing the bare minimum and making no effort to improve quality or efficiency.
An example is when an employee no longer takes initiative to offer input or suggestions during team meetings and shows minimal interest in discussing new projects or ideas.
2. Disregarding Safety Protocols
Ignoring safe practices or cutting corners can be costly in several respects. No one wants to see injuries on the job, lost time, or increased workers comp premiums.
For example, this is a problem if employees repeatedly ignore safety guidelines, such as failing to wear protective equipment or bypassing safety checks because they believe the risks are minimal or that “nothing bad has happened before.”
3. Failure to Innovate or Improve
Now more than ever, with the rapid improvement in and expanding use of AI tools, technology that improves workplace effectiveness and efficiency is quickly advancing. Organizations that fail to keep up will lose their competitive edge.
This may be an issue in your company if a worker continues using outdated methods or tools because they feel comfortable with the routine and have stopped seeking ways to improve efficiency. When new software is introduced, they resist learning it, sticking to the old processes even if they’re less effective.
4. Declining Performance or Productivity
Even worse than failing to improve is actual backsliding, when an employee’s contributions to the organization’s success decrease over time.
For example, if a previously high-performing employee consistently misses deadlines or submits lower-quality work, showing little interest in refining their output, addressing mistakes, or even meeting expectations, complacency may be the culprit—and this needs to be addressed promptly.
5. Minimal Effort in Personal or Professional Development
Engaged employees value opportunities to increase their skills and advance in the organization. A lack of interest in professional development is a clear indication of complacency.
For example, an employee no longer pursues professional development opportunities such as training or certifications, believing that they’ve reached the peak of their role or exhibiting no appetite for further growth.
6. Increased Absenteeism or Tardiness
A final, clear sign of complacency is missing work or showing up late. This puts added strain on other workers and reduces team productivity.
An example is when an employee starts arriving late to work regularly or frequently calls in sick, showing a lack of commitment, interest in, and responsibility toward their job.
What Causes Workplace Complacency?
Workplace complacency can result from several different factors at multiple levels. Here are just a handful of common contributors to complacency.
A Stable Industry
When an industry is stable and its major players are doing well, it can seem like there are no immediate threats or disruptions. This can cause employees (and even their leaders) to feel that their current approach to work is sufficient and that there is little need for change. It creates a false sense of security, with no urgency to innovate, overconfidence in routine operations, and little perceived risk of disruption or job loss.
A Stagnant Organizational Culture
In a stagnant or non-innovative corporate culture, complacency is likely due to a lack of challenge and growth opportunities, a collective aversion to risk-taking, and reward for conformity. The highest performing employees are likely to leave for more interesting challenges, reinforcing the norm of mediocrity among remaining workers.
Individual Lack of Motivation
As noted previously, unmotivated employees are likely to perform tasks at the bare minimum, avoiding additional effort or going beyond their job description. If not promptly and effectively dealt with, this can have a ripple effect across the organization as other employees become demoralized, disengaged, and lose interest in self-improvement or innovation.
Bad Leadership
Poor leadership can be a significant contributor to workplace complacency, as it shapes the culture, attitudes, and behaviors within an organization. Among the potential impacts of bad leadership are lack of clear vision and direction; inconsistent or unfair practices (such as showing favoritism); micromanagement and attendant loss of motivation; and failure to effectively address poor performance, which reinforces mediocrity and complacency.
Poor Organizational Communication
Poor communication within an organization creates misunderstandings, disengagement, and inefficiencies, leading employees to settle into passive behaviors. Without clear expectations, employees can become uncertain about their roles, leading to reduced effort and productivity. Without effective feedback, employees won’t understand what they need to improve on. And when there’s a lack of transparency in sharing information, employees are more likely to feel isolated and lose trust in leadership.
The good news is that most of these issues—culture, motivation, quality of leadership and communication—can be addressed through more and better training. To combat complacency and improve business performance, implement training focused on specific conditions.
Personality assessment workshops like Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) Training and our DiSC Profile Workshop help employees better understand their own preferences and communication styles as well as those of their teammates, improving productivity and collaboration. Role-specific training helps employees increase their skills and recognize opportunities for improvement. And leadership training like our Manager’s Guide to Business Coaching and Meeting Management programs improve communication and guidance skills.
How Does Workplace Complacency Differ from Employee Disengagement?
While complacency and disengagement often coexist, and both involve a lack of motivation, they are distinct issues. Complacency is often a result of overconfidence and routine. Employees are fulfilling their tasks (even if only the bare minimum) and may not even seem unhappy. But there’s no sense of urgency or need to improve, and workers may even cut corners which can impact quality and safety.
Disengagement, on the other hand, stems from a lack of connection and purpose. Employees lose interest in their roles. If not addressed directly, this can lead to lower individual and team performance, reduced collaboration, and increased employee turnover.
How to Overcome Complacency in the Workplace in Five Steps
Complacency can cause problems with safety, employee retention, competitiveness, quality, and productivity. So, don’t be complacent about complacency. Here are five steps to spotting and eliminating complacency in your workplace.
1. Identify Complacency Early
Workplace complacency is like cancer: left to spread, it can do great damage—but caught early, and it can be eliminated before causing any serious harm. Keep a watchful eye out for the signs of complacency at work as detailed above.
2. Keep the Work Environment Exciting
Break up the routine with fun social events, like Friday all-company pizza lunches. Encourage extra effort by acknowledging and rewarding employee achievements. Spotlight innovative processes or products your company is developing to demonstrate forward-thinking and momentum.
3. Develop Strong Leadership
Bad leadership increases the risk of complacency. Strong leaders are more likely to prevent complacency through effective, open communication and creating a culture of innovation. Management and leadership skills don’t come naturally to every employee, but can be developed through leadership training.
4. Make Team Building a Regular Practice
Professional corporate team building helps combat complacency by providing a fun break from the daily routine and fostering collaboration.
5. Encourage Continuous Learning and Development
Employees are far less likely to become complacent when they have regular, ongoing opportunities to be intellectually challenged and learn new skills.
How Can Team Building Help Combat Complacency in the Workplace?
As noted above, team building offers a break from the daily work routine, which is helpful on its own. But in addition, it demands accountability, attention to detail, and clarifies the impact of each participant’s efforts on other team members and the final product. For example, when assembling a wheelchair for donation to help the mobility impaired, no one wants their slipshod workmanship to cause a wheel to fall off!
Virtually all team building exercises boost engagement and motivation. A few specific examples include:
- Charitable corporate social responsibility (CSR) events like Helping the Homeless, STEM Backpacks for Kids, or Project Alzheimer’s™ combine the pillars of team building (collaboration, communication, problem solving) with the emotional impact of helping others in need. It’s hard to remain complacent after the fun and joy this kind of activity brings.
- Fun competition and bonding programs such as Bridge to the Future and Igniting Team Performance® emphasize cross-team collaboration and innovative problem solving. Taking these experiences and lessons back into the workplace is a strong counteracting force to complacency.
- Corporate scavenger hunts like our City SmartHunt® and Amazing Chase SmartHunt® take employees literally outside the office while focusing on strategic thinking and time management. These workplace skills run counter to any temptation toward complacency.
Take the Next Step: Combat Workplace Complacency with Proven Strategies
Complacency in the workplace can negatively impact productivity, product and service quality, and even worker safety. Left unchecked, it can spread. But by understanding the risks, learning how to overcome complacency in the workplace, and taking action, it can be prevented or addressed early.
Recognizing the signs, as noted above, is a key first step. From there, to prevent or combat complacency, take action like breaking up the workplace routine and developing strong managers and leaders.
Team building and professional development programs are also highly effective at combating workplace complacency while improving communication and collaboration. Learn more about how Best Corporate Events can help your organization address issues like complacency, and contact us to discuss customized solutions to your most pressing business issues.
