How to Spot Red Flags in Coworker Behavior

In many workplaces, navigating relationships can be challenging. Unfair treatment is common, and if you’re highly capable, jealousy can prompt others to work against you behind the scenes. That can be frustrating and, in more serious cases, harm your career and reputation. Below, from a facial-features perspective, we outline which colleagues you should be cautious around and, ideally, keep your distance from.

1. If someone has straight forehead lines that reach the hairline and a rough, bark-like texture to the skin on the forehead, it suggests a narrow mind and little tolerance for slights. If you do anything that displeases them, they will hold a grudge and seek payback. It’s best to keep a respectful distance from such individuals and avoid work entanglements unless absolutely necessary.

2. If a colleague has a dry bridge of the nose, uneven or unrefined features, and often wears a disdainful expression, do not underestimate them. Anyone who hinders their progress becomes a target—whether a superior or a peer—and they are capable of betrayal.

3. Also avoid individuals with a prominent jawline and thin lips. People with these features tend to be sharp-tongued and meddlesome. Dealing with them requires showing ample respect; otherwise, they will seize any opportunity to undermine you.

4. Lastly, keep your distance from those with a short philtrum and a receding chin. People with these traits often have a dual nature: they may appear capable on the surface but are selfish and opportunistic in private, frequently resorting to cunning, underhanded tactics against colleagues and subordinates.