Recognizing, Understanding, and Managing Workplace Anger

According to the 2024 Gallop Poll of 142 countries, workers continue to report high levels of anger that continue to be above prepandemic levels. (Crist, 2024). Since such anger can negatively impact all aspects of the workplace, it’s essential to recognize, understand, and help to effectively manage it.

Triggers of anger in the workplace

Factors that can serve as potential triggers for anger include:

• A dominant task focus, while ignoring or minimizing a people focus
• Concerns about fairness
• Overly fierce competition
• Intense demands for productivity
• Near-impossible deadlines
• Long hours
• Interpersonal conflicts
• Unrealistic expectations
• Work-related stress
• Difficulties with management

In general, anger may also result from a discrepancy between an individual’s needs or expectations and the degree of satisfaction of those expectations—regarding job security, responsibilities, desire for job advancement, feeling connected with coworkers, financial gain, recognition, and overall work satisfaction.

An angry worker

Source: Maru123rf/123rf Stock Photo

For example, an individual might believe they will have the opportunity to be creative, only to find out that their assignments are predominantly tedious in nature. Or, they may be forced to face the stress of having their job assignments significantly redefined from their original job description.

Expressions of anger in the workplace

Expressions of anger in the work setting may include a variety of behaviors that are subtle or overt and may also vary in intensity and frequency. These include:

• Passive-aggression
• Cynicism
• Sarcasm
• Workplace incivility
• Substance abuse
• Verbal or physical aggression
• Isolation and withdrawal
• Subtle vandalism
• Reduced work quality
• Accidents

The negative impact of anger at work

Destructive anger negatively impacts the workplace, leading to conflict and tension that ultimately undermines productivity and employee morale. It can also affect job satisfaction, increase absences, and contribute to problems with retention.

One study of 3,852 participants found that angry workers are mostly experienced as less competent and viewed as having lower status when compared to workers expressing sadness or no emotions (Porat & Paluck, 2024). They are also perceived as overreacting and as having a lack of self-control.

Additionally, anger in the workplace may be displaced outside of work, contributing to conflicts with family, friends, and others. One study has found that bleeding of workplace anger into one’s personal life can cause insomnia, which in turn leaves an employee even less productive (Fritz, Park & Shepherd, 2019).

Managing one’s anger in the workplace

In general, empathy and sympathy can support good relationships in the work setting, regardless of the circumstances or the position one holds. Such practices support the attainment of goals and increased productivity, whether in the context of teamwork, supervision, negotiations, or brainstorming. And while general skills in anger management can help, the following strategies are specifically focused on workplace anger.

1. Remove yourself from the situation, do some deep breathing, write down your concern, and put it in your desk drawer until the next day.
2. Become aware of your expectations at work and reflect on the degree to which they are realistic. For example, even though it may be difficult to accept, good work may not always be sufficiently rewarded. Additionally, undermining of morale, some promotions may be based on friendship rather than competency. Advancing in a company calls for some degree of personal self-promotion, feeling comfortable with appropriately drawing attention to one’s accomplishments as they occur.
3. Learn assertiveness skills that may or may not include sharing your feelings, depending on the setting. At the same time, expand your capacity to work with your feelings and those of others in the workplace. For example, suppose your supervisor is two months late in completing your evaluation, an assessment that determines a potential salary increase. This may lead you to experience disappointment, frustration, anxiety, and even anger. You can “show” it or simply state, “I was expecting an evaluation a while ago and am not sure what to conclude. When might I expect it?”
4. When angry with others, rather than emphasizing your emotions, address how their specific behaviors impact the team’s or workplace’s productivity.
5. Be aware that certain language may fuel anger, for example, telling someone they “have” to do something versus stating it as your expectation.
6. Be aware of how you may fall into patterns of interaction with others that are similar to those you’ve experienced with family or friends in the past. We are creatures of habit, and because we spend so much time in the workplace, we may readily bring in our own “baggage.”
7. If someone is making mistakes, being inconsiderate, or being unrealistic, do not personalize their reactions or issues. Instead, assertively address them or seek consultation with Human Resources.

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The productive expression of anger

Anger can, at times, be productive in the workplace, but only if it is constructively discussed rather than acted upon. Expressing anger in some situations is necessary to stand up for oneself and set healthy boundaries and expectations or to advocate for positive change. Make sure you’ve sufficiently calmed down before practicing guidelines such as the following:

• Be specific about the violation that has occurred.
• Avoid excessive venting (Fosslien & Duffy, 2022).
• To inform your conversation, clearly define the specific need behind your emotion. For example, ask yourself, “What is your long-term or short-term goal?” and “What steps can you take to help achieve it?”
• Assertive expression is reflected by statements such as “When you _____, I feel____.” Share the feeling behind your anger, such as being ignored, discounted, or frustrated. Then indicate that you feel annoyed. You may use anger, but many people become too reactive to anger because it is too often associated with aggression.
• One of my clients simply said, “Ouch,” when he felt offended by a coworker. This example shows that a response can be brief but quite effective.

Managing anger about something in the workplace that you can’t change

1. You may feel that your workplace is not safe enough to address your concerns. In this case, seek the support of the Human Resource Department, friends, or a therapist. Seek information about dealing with difficult people–if this is the issue.
2. Seek a different position within the company.
3. Find ways to address your needs outside of work, such as your desire for friends, creativity, or greater recognition.
4. Take courses to advance your skills.
5. Seek another job.
6. You may reflect on the type of career or field that might be a better match to your needs.

Many factors in the workplace can contribute to anger arousal, which can have a negative impact in various ways. As in other settings, anger can best be managed by first creating calmness in mind and body. Then, identify your core values or needs and the feelings that contribute to your anger. The challenge is to remember that it is healthy to acknowledge such anger and that it can be constructively managed in your best interest and, ultimately, for others in the workplace.