My colleagues complain that I am too loyal to the employer

Q: I work at a clearing and forwarding company in Mombasa. Since I joined this company a year ago, I have been diligent and loyal. Whenever my colleagues talk ill of our employer, I always defend the company. I do this because I believe it is the right thing to do. However, my positivity his has sometimes put me at loggerheads with my workmates. They have even branded me a traitor, saying that I am too loyal. What should I do?

You are one of a kind. Kudos for being a diligent employee and for defending your employer. Employers are often blamed for a lot of things, sometimes unfairly. However, let’s be clear about a few things. Your employer is responsible for ensuring that you have a contract, a clear job description, a safe work environment, the resources needed to perform assigned tasks, and that you are compensated for work done as agreed, and on a timely basis. If your colleagues are complaining about any of these, defending your employer may seem a little surreptitious. It is better to join them in pushing for the right changes to be made. Given the impactful role you seem to enjoy, pursuing a collaborative approach that does not undermine or jeopardise any of your jobs will be the right call to make.

That said, there is one specific thing that an employer cannot fix for you and your colleagues. That is the attitude that each one of you brings to work every day. Your attitude is a personal choice. Despite being in the same environment, you have chosen to be positive over the challenges weighing others down. They have chosen to complain, while you have chosen to look at the brighter side. They have chosen to see work as a duty, while you have chosen to enjoy and love your job. Whatever you are doing is not driven by loyalty, but by an attitude of gratitude, one that sees the bird in the hand as opposed to the two flapping their wings in the bush. Now, be very careful not to fall victim by lowering your values and standards to accommodate negativity. You need to kill that voice telling you that too much loyalty to your employer is poisonous.

As long as your employer is ethical and working within acceptable standards, do not be ashamed to counter your colleagues’ views. Continue to be a good advocate for change in their attitude. At the same time, see how best to involve the management in the issues being raised. Many employers long to receive feedback directing them to specific areas that require attention. In your case, perhaps your employer needs to demonstrate to your colleagues how their contributions fit into the bigger picture, or to institute training on social skills that can enhance their self-awareness.

Mwikali Muthiani - Managing Partner, MillennialHR (@MwikaliN; [email protected])