Ever had that one team member who just seems to think the rules apply to everyone except them? It's a weird vibe. You’ve probably sat in your office, staring at a screen, wondering if you’re being too hard on them or if they really just asked for a promotion after missing three deadlines in a row. Honestly, it’s a quiet killer of company culture. When you start noticing the signs of an entitled employee, it’s rarely a "eureka" moment where they do something catastrophically bad. Instead, it’s a slow drip of "that’s not my job" and "I deserve more" until the rest of the team is ready to stage a mutiny.
Management experts like Dr. Paul Harvey, who has spent years researching workplace entitlement at the University of New Hampshire, suggests that this isn't just about laziness. It’s a psychological state where someone truly believes they deserve more rewards or better treatment than others, regardless of their actual contribution. It’s frustrating. It’s exhausting. And if you’re running a business or leading a department, it’s your problem to fix.
The "Not My Job" Reflex and Other Red Flags
One of the most immediate signs of an entitled employee is a rigid, almost legalistic refusal to help outside their specific job description. Now, don't get me wrong. I’m all for healthy boundaries and preventing "scope creep." But there is a massive difference between protecting your work-life balance and refusing to chip in when the ship is taking on water. Entitled people see themselves as "above" certain tasks. They’ll watch a colleague struggle with a heavy box or a complex spreadsheet and not lift a finger because it wasn't mentioned in their contract.
It’s about the attitude.
They treat mundane tasks as an insult to their intelligence. If you ask them to help with something basic, you get the eye roll. Or the heavy sigh. You know the one. It’s the sound of someone who thinks they are a VIP in a room full of general admission guests.
The Feedback Loop That Never Closes
Have you ever tried to give "constructive" criticism to someone who thinks they’re perfect? It’s like talking to a brick wall that also happens to be very offended. A major indicator of entitlement is an inability to take feedback.
According to research published in the Journal of Organizational Behavior, employees with high levels of psychological entitlement often externalize failure. Basically, if they mess up, it's your fault. Or the client's fault. Or the software's fault. They have a "self-serving bias" on steroids. When things go well, they take 100% of the credit. When things go south? They’re nowhere to be found, or they’re busy explaining why your instructions were the real reason the project failed.
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- They argue with every point during a performance review.
- They blame "lack of resources" for every missed KPI.
- They genuinely seem shocked that you aren't praising them for doing the bare minimum.
Why Some Hires Start Great and Turn Sour
It’s kind of heartbreaking. You hire someone who seems like a rockstar. They’ve got the resume, the charisma, and the initial drive. But then, six months in, they start acting like the company owes them a debt that can never be repaid. This often happens because of "narcissistic inflation." As they get comfortable, their sense of "specialness" grows.
They start showing up late.
They take longer lunches.
They expect the plum assignments without putting in the "grunt work" first. You’ve probably seen it: the junior associate who wants to lead the multi-million dollar pitch because they "have a vision," even though they haven't mastered the basics of the CRM yet.
The Comparison Trap
Entitled employees are obsessed with what everyone else is getting. If Sarah gets a new monitor, they need two. If Dave gets to work from home on Fridays, they want Thursdays too. They don’t look at their own performance; they look at their neighbors' plate to make sure nobody has more than them. This is what researchers call "relative deprivation," but in an office setting, it just looks like being a sore loser. It creates this toxic environment where everything is a transaction. They won't do a favor unless there's an immediate, equal return.
The Difference Between High Standards and Entitlement
We need to be careful here. You don't want to accidentally punish your high-performers. High-performers have high standards. They might be demanding, but they deliver. The difference? Accountability.
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A high-performer says, "I need these tools to hit my goal."
An entitled employee says, "I deserve these tools because I'm me."
It's subtle but vital. High-performers care about the output. Entitled employees care about the status. If you have someone who is constantly complaining but also constantly winning, you might just have a "high-maintenance" star. But if they’re complaining and their output is mediocre? That’s entitlement, plain and simple.
Social Dynamics and the "Culture Rot"
One of the most dangerous signs of an entitled employee is how they influence the rest of the group. They are often "workplace lawyers." They spend their time at the coffee machine or on Slack huddles convincing others that they are being mistreated. It’s infectious. One person’s unearned sense of grievance can quickly turn into a departmental vibe of "we’re all victims here."
They don't just want to be entitled alone; they want a chorus.
- They highlight management's "failings" constantly.
- They gossip about who got what perk.
- They undermine new initiatives before they even launch.
How to Manage the Unmanageable
So, what do you actually do? You can’t just fire everyone who acts a bit bratty, especially in a tight labor market. But you also can't let it slide. If you tolerate entitlement, you’re basically telling your humble, hard-working employees that their effort doesn't matter.
Radical Clarity. Stop being vague. Entitlement thrives in the gray areas. If someone thinks they deserve a promotion, show them the written criteria. "You need to hit X, Y, and Z for three consecutive quarters to be eligible." When they come to you demanding things, point back to the data. It’s hard to argue with a spreadsheet.
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Stop "Reward Priming." Sometimes, we create these monsters. We promise things "down the road" to keep people motivated. Stop doing that. Only reward actual, realized results. If you reward "potential" or "effort" too often, you’re training them to expect prizes just for showing up.
The "Help Out" Metric. Start valuing "citizenship behaviors." These are the small things—mentoring a junior, cleaning up a shared doc, staying five minutes late to help a peer. Make it clear that being a "team player" isn't just a buzzword; it’s a performance metric. If they refuse to do it, it reflects on their review.
Direct Confrontation. Seriously. Sometimes you just have to say it. "I’ve noticed you seem frustrated when asked to do [Task X]. Can you help me understand why?" Force them to articulate their sense of "above-ness." Often, when they have to say it out loud, they realize how ridiculous they sound. Or they don't, which gives you all the information you need for their exit plan.
The Cost of Doing Nothing
If you ignore the signs of an entitled employee, your best people will leave. Why wouldn't they? If they see someone else doing half the work, complaining twice as much, and getting the same paycheck, they’re going to find a place that actually values merit. Entitlement is a tax on your top talent.
Practical Next Steps for Managers
It’s time to audit your team. Look at the people who consistently make things "difficult." Is it because the work is hard, or because they feel the work is beneath them?
- Review your onboarding: Are you over-selling the "rockstar" lifestyle and forgetting to mention the hard work?
- Audit your feedback loop: Are you giving regular, documented "mini-reviews" so no one is "surprised" by a lack of promotion?
- Establish a "No Ego" policy: Lead by example. If the CEO is willing to pick up a piece of trash in the hallway or help with a basic task, it’s much harder for a mid-level manager to claim it's "not their job."
- Document everything: If you’re dealing with a truly entitled individual, you need a paper trail. Every missed deadline and every instance of refused work needs to be noted. Entitled employees are often the first to threaten legal action or HR complaints when they don't get their way. Protect yourself by being the most organized person in the room.
Managing these personalities isn't about being a jerk. It's about fairness. You owe it to the people who actually show up and do the work to keep the entitled ones in check. Get the data, set the boundaries, and don't be afraid to have the uncomfortable conversation today so you don't have a total culture collapse tomorrow.