What I’m Hearing…Desk Rage

I’ve heard of Road Rage and ‘Roid Rage. Today I learned about “Desk Rage.”

Desk Rage happens when employees are short-tempered, insulting to others, and nasty (at best). At its worst, Desk Rage spills into workplace violence. It makes you long for the days when employee ennui was the worst you’d have to deal with.

Search on “office rage” on YouTube and 232 videos appear. Desk rage has a smaller results page, but videos are there.

Experts claim that Desk Rage will be on the rise as employees worry about the economy, gas prices, credit card debt, mortgages, and job uncertainty.

As HR professionals, more responsibility will fall to us to mitigate the Desk Rage that creeps in our workplaces. What can we do to prevent such incidents from happening? Honest communication on organizational policies, practices, and business results should help. Reminders about key parts of the benefits program, including the EAP, should also be included. Don’t forget time for fun! We all feel stressed at work sometimes. A pizza party, ice cream break, or other fun event can help to diffuse the tensions that build and make sure Desk Rage doesn’t become a commonplace part of your organization.

Update from Andrew: This is one of my "favorites" in this category...not sure if it's staged. But it's quite an amazing video regardless: click here