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    What Constitutes Insubordination SHRM

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    Reema Reema
    Insubordination in the workplace refers to an employee intentionally refusing to obey an employer's lawful and reasonable orders. There are three factors that determine insubordination: 1) the employer gives an order, 2) the employee acknowledges the order, and 3) the employee refuses to carry out the order. Insolence, such as cursing or verbal intimidation, can also undermine a manager's authority and respect and lead to disciplinary action. However, an employee refusing an order due to a misunderstanding, unsafe work conditions, or a violation of law/policy would not be considered insubordination.

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    What Constitutes Insubordination SHRM

    Uploaded by

    Reema Reema
    99 views2 pages
    Insubordination in the workplace refers to an employee intentionally refusing to obey an employer's lawful and reasonable orders. There are three factors that determine insubordination: 1) the employer gives an order, 2) the employee acknowledges the order, and 3) the employee refuses to carry out the order. Insolence, such as cursing or verbal intimidation, can also undermine a manager's authority and respect and lead to disciplinary action. However, an employee refusing an order due to a misunderstanding, unsafe work conditions, or a violation of law/policy would not be considered insubordination.

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    What constitutes insubordination SHRM

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    Insubordination in the workplace refers to an employee intentionally refusing to obey an employer's lawful and reasonable orders. There are three factors that determine insubordination: 1) the employer gives an order, 2) the employee acknowledges the order, and 3) the employee refuses to carry out the order. Insolence, such as cursing or verbal intimidation, can also undermine a manager's authority and respect and lead to disciplinary action. However, an employee refusing an order due to a misunderstanding, unsafe work conditions, or a violation of law/policy would not be considered insubordination.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    99 views2 pages

    What Constitutes Insubordination SHRM

    Uploaded by

    Reema Reema
    Insubordination in the workplace refers to an employee intentionally refusing to obey an employer's lawful and reasonable orders. There are three factors that determine insubordination: 1) the employer gives an order, 2) the employee acknowledges the order, and 3) the employee refuses to carry out the order. Insolence, such as cursing or verbal intimidation, can also undermine a manager's authority and respect and lead to disciplinary action. However, an employee refusing an order due to a misunderstanding, unsafe work conditions, or a violation of law/policy would not be considered insubordination.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
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    What constitutes insubordination?

    Insubordination in the workplace refers to an employee's intentional


    refusal to obey an employer's lawful and reasonable orders. Such a
    refusal would undermine a supervisor's level of respect and ability to
    manage and, therefore, is often a reason for disciplinary action, up to and
    including termination.
    There are three factors in determining insubordination:
    300 600 StandardArticleFle

    300 250 StandardArticleFle

    1. The employer gives the order.


    2. The employee acknowledges the order.
    3. The employee refuses to carry out the order.

    The order itself may take the form of a verbal directive, written
    instructions, the duties as described in a job description and even an
    implied set of duties where no formal job description exists. Employee
    acknowledgments can be verbal, nonverbal (nodding) or even the
    acceptance of a job offer. An employee's unwillingness to carry out a
    directive can manifest itself as a verbal refusal, a nonverbal refusal
    or an unreasonable delay in completing the work. Being verbally
    disrespectful is not a requirement here, as simply refusing to punch a
    time clock when directed to do so will constitute insubordination.
    Employer policies prohibiting insubordination often go beyond
    disobedience to include rude and disrespectful behaviors, best described
    as insolence. These behaviors can include cursing, verbal or physical
    intimidation, personal insults, eye rolling or mocking, as well as
    speaking loudly or argumentatively in front of others. Over time,
    insolent behaviors can also affect a manager's level of respect and ability
    to manage, thereby enmeshing insolence and insubordination.
    Employers can expect employees to show professionalism and respect
    toward others and may discipline them when they don't.
    There is one caveat: The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has
    opined that Section 7 rights under the National Labor Relations Act
    (NLRA) may be violated if an employer disciplines or terminates an
    employee for cursing or other typically insolent behaviors while he or
    she is engaged in a protected concerted activity. Therefore, employers
    should protect themselves by seeking legal counsel before disciplining
    in matters concerning the terms and conditions of employment.
    In addition, when addressing insolent or insubordinate behavior, the
    employer should consider the culture or circumstances in which an
    incident took place. For example, if cursing is common "shop talk" in
    the workplace, the employer would need to consider whether the
    language used by the employee was unusual enough to be considered
    abusive.
    Lastly, a refusal to carry out an order may result from a
    misunderstanding of instructions or a fear of unsafe work. In certain
    circumstances, the Occupational Safety and Health
    Administration protects workers who refuse to perform work if they
    believe in good faith that performing the work would put employees in
    imminent danger. An employee's refusal to do something that is illegal,
    unethical or a violation of company policy would not be considered
    insubordination.

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