{
  "id": 9991370,
  "title": "Don’t you know that you’re toxic? Here's how to handle a difficult colleague",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/26/dont-you-know-that-youre-toxic-heres-how-to-handle-a-difficult",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-26T13:30:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Channel News Asia",
    "slug": "channel-news-asia",
    "url": "https://www.channelnewsasia.com/today/voices/toxic-workplace-difficult-colleague-quit-6410016"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Kelvin Kao, now a business owner, has learned to confront toxic behavior differently compared to his past experiences. He recounts two toxic colleagues he had: Harold and Felicia, who worked at a publishing company. Harold had a habit of yelling at his colleagues, while Felicia enjoyed spreading rumors and sowing discord. Despite their skills and accomplishments, their toxic behavior made working with them emotionally and mentally draining. Kao initially chose to quit rather than confront their behavior. However, reflecting on the situation later, he recognized the importance of addressing toxic behavior to maintain a productive work environment. He discusses the challenges managers face in dealing with talented individuals who also exhibit toxic behavior. Kao suggests that managers should directly address the toxic behavior, hear the individual's perspective, and clearly outline the necessary changes. He emphasizes that this approach is more effective for building a successful organization and retaining talent in the long run.",
  "summary": "As an employee, he stayed silent about toxic colleagues and quit when he could not handle a workplace that felt like a landmine field. But now, as a business owner, here's why Kelvin Kao acts differently in dealing with toxic behaviour.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}