When working with a fellow coworker who has a terrible attitude about life and is always complaining, here are some suggestions for dealing with them. The first thing you should do is try to speak with them and get a grasp on their situation. What if they are complaining only because no one listens to them? Discuss the matter extensively and figure out what’s going on, and hopefully this will end the complaining. It is also a good idea to see if their complaint is a real one or not. If their issue is a real one, you should see if you can give them help and support.

Most people complain about not receiving enough positive reinforcement, being managed incorrectly, being given too much to do, feeling scared because of work, having too little to do, and wanting more in wages.

Do not let yourself get caught up in the drama of the situation. If they need a therapist, they should get one, not use you. Restrict your help to giving tips, recommending books, and talking to them, but that should be about it. Figure out how much you can take before you become your coworker’s shoulder to cry on. Hopefully your coworker is a normal person who has a brain, and this will help them. Complaining once in a while is fine, and now the coworker can move on.

Sadly, if the coworker is mean, nuts, neurotic, you providing a helpful hand will do nothing. You’ll have to stand tall and order them to stay away from you. Let them know you will have nothing to do with them and you don’t want to hear them complain. Maybe you can inform them that they need a new hobby in life, because complaining is not cutting it.

Call your HR department or boss if nothing else works. You are not the one responsible for dealing with this situation. Try not to yell at or abuse your coworker, because this will lead to you being fired. If you still can’t stop the complaining, eventually you may lose your mind from this terrible atmosphere. If your employer can’t stop the problems, then you should leave. It will be emotionally healthier to transfer to a new environment. Consider this alternative if all else fails.