Episode 17: Episode 87: Handling a Difficult Employee episode artwork

EPISODE · Mar 20, 2026 · 4 MIN

Episode 17: Episode 87: Handling a Difficult Employee

from Business English Expressions at Work · host Johnny

Episode 87 of Expressions at Work takes you back inside the Human Resources department as the team deals with a challenging workplace situation — a high-performing employee whose behavior is beginning to affect the team. In this episode, you’ll hear how HR professionals handle sensitive issues by discussing performance concerns, deciding how to address the behavior, and ensuring that problems are properly documented. The team also explores how to set clear expectations and when to introduce a performance improvement plan (PIP). This episode is ideal for intermediate to advanced English learners who want to understand how professionals communicate in difficult workplace situations, especially when balancing performance with professionalism. Listening to realistic HR conversations will help you improve your business English vocabulary, communication skills, and confidence in professional environments. 🎧 In this episode you’ll learn expressions such as:  • Performance concerns • Address the behavior • Document the issue • Set clear expectations • Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) • Professional conduct Subscribe to Expressions at Work for more realistic workplace English conversations designed to help you sound more natural, clear, and confident at work.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Mar 20, 2026

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Episode 17: Episode 87: Handling a Difficult Employee

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This episode is 4 minutes long.

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This episode was published on March 20, 2026.

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