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🇲🇾 Malaysia /Culture & Society

Can stress at home make someone toxic at work?

From Utusan Malaysia · () Malay

Translated from Malay and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

Explainer Named sources Context piece
  • Domestic conflict, financial pressure and other personal burdens can spill over into a person’s emotions and performance at work.
  • Counselling psychologist Fauziah Mohd. Saad says stress does not justify gossiping, defaming or bullying colleagues.
  • Workers respond differently to pressure, with some maintaining professionalism while others use unhealthy defensive behaviours such as blaming or isolating colleagues.

A cheerful colleague who suddenly becomes withdrawn, irritable or eager to find fault may be carrying stress from home into the office. Personal conflict, financial problems, an ill child and other pressures can affect emotions and concentration at work.

But stress does not excuse behaviour that harms colleagues, according to Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris counselling psychologist Associate Professor Dr Fauziah Mohd. Saad. Domestic problems can increase psychological pressure and emotional exhaustion, yet gossip, defamation and workplace bullying are shaped more by personality, emotional regulation skills and organisational culture.

Psychologists describe the transfer of pressure from one part of life to another as the spillover effect. Someone struggling with conflict at home may become more distracted or emotionally affected at work. That does not mean every person under pressure becomes a difficult employee. Many people continue to perform well because they can separate personal problems from their professional responsibilities.

However, stress is not an excuse to gossip, defame or bully colleagues. Such behaviour is influenced more by personality, emotional regulation skills and organisational culture.

· Fauziah Mohd. SaadShe distinguished the effects of personal stress from responsibility for harmful workplace conduct.

“Stress is not an excuse to gossip, defame or bully colleagues,” Fauziah said. She noted that people with effective coping skills understand that their emotions cannot control actions that damage others. They may speak less during a difficult period, but still respect colleagues, complete their duties and avoid using the workplace as an outlet for anger.

Others fail to manage the pressure and turn it into sarcasm, excessive criticism, rumours or blame. Some deliberately isolate colleagues or spread stories that may not be true. Fauziah said such reactions can reflect unhealthy defence mechanisms, including attempts to shift attention away from a person’s own problems by searching for weaknesses in others.

Some individuals are able to separate work matters from personal problems through good coping skills.

· Fauziah Mohd. SaadShe explained why some employees remain professional despite difficulties at home.
About this summary

Originally published by Utusan Malaysia in Malay. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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