These five workplace habits could jeopardise your career in 2025, experts warn

When it comes to workplace behaviour and what is deemed acceptable, the grounds are constantly shifting as new generations enter the workforce and constantly evolving technologies change the way we operate.

In fact, actions that may have been overlooked, or perhaps even encouraged just a few years ago, are now seen as serious red flags by employers, experts say.

“The bar for professional behaviour has definitely moved,” says Jason Morris, business expert at international link-building agency My Profit Engine.

“What we're noticing is that certain habits immediately flag someone as either emotionally immature or completely disconnected from modern workplace dynamics.”

Employers increasingly value emotional professionalism, and handling workplace friction is often seen as equally important as technical output. For that reason companies are tracking emotional intelligence metrics as they’ve learned that one person’s unprofessional behaviour can derail an entire team’s dynamics.

Morris identifies five workplace red flags that have become problematic in 2025 as they could signal deeper issues with self-awareness, adaptability and professional growth potential. Some of these will seem obvious, while others might seem surprising.

Avoiding video during virtual meetings

Although this is a common practice at many organisations, consistently keeping cameras off during virtual meetings can come across as disengaging or lacking in confidence.

“Video engagement has become a basic professional courtesy. When someone consistently opts out, it creates distance and makes other people wonder what they're really doing during meetings,” Morris said.

He added that this can be particularly harmful during collaborative discussions where visual cues matter for building rapport and reading room dynamics. Morris advises employees to test their set-up beforehand and treat video calls like in-person meetings. Those who have legitimate concerns about their ‘space’ should communicate these directly rather than simply staging off-camera.

Complaining openly about your workload

Another behaviour that we have perhaps all been guilty of is venting about being “swamped” during open meetings or discussions with fellow employees. But this, according to Morris, can signal poor boundaries and unprofessional emotional regulation.

“Modern workplaces expect people to manage stress privately and escalate workload concerns through proper channels. Broadcasting overwhelm suggests someone who hasn't learned to separate personal struggles from professional communication,” Morris said.

“There's a difference between advocating for resources and performing your stress for colleagues. One shows leadership potential, the other shows emotional immaturity,” he added.

Employees should instead schedule private conversations with their managers about capacity problems, where they focus on solutions and resource needs rather than emotional responses.

Needing constant direction

Employees should also avoid frequently asking what they should be working on, as this can show an inability to prioritise or think strategically.

A good alternative would be to meet with management weekly to review priorities and then execute these independently. Here it’s also important to provide status updates and to ask specific questions about potential roadblocks.

“When someone needs constant direction, it tells me they haven't internalised what success looks like in their position. The expectation now is that professionals can work autonomously for reasonable stretches and come to meetings with solutions, not just problems,” Morris said.

Saying “That’s not my job”

Although it can be important to protect one’s time and productivity, rigid role boundaries can signal inflexibility and poor team awareness.

Instead of immediately deflecting requests, which potentially shows a lack of collaborative spirit, employees should try to suggest alternatives, even if it means pointing them to a different contact.

“The most valuable team members think in terms of outcomes, not just task lists,” Morris notes. “They might not take on every request, but they help find solutions instead of just saying no.”

The bottom line is that modern-day employees are expected to understand how their work connects to broader goals.

When simple mistakes are over-explained

Employees should be wary of over-explaining small errors as these can signal defensiveness, poor emotional regulation, and a lack of confidence.

It is far better to own your mistakes without drama, which is best achieved through a brief acknowledgement and quick correction.

“When someone writes three paragraphs explaining why they sent the wrong attachment, it raises more concerns than the original mistake. It shows they're not comfortable with the normal give-and-take of professional life,” Morris concluded.

What other experts say

Employees who are not receptive to different points of view because they think they know the answer to absolutely everything, can drag down their own work as well as that of the company, Jason Buechel, CEO of Whole Foods, told CNBC.

Job hopping too frequently can also be a big red flag, says Todd Graves, CEO of US restaurant chain Raising Cane’s.

Graves said such employees can appear that they are on a quest for titles rather than someone who believes in the business and seeks to make significant long-term contributions. However, some experts feel that moving roles every two to three years can show ambition and adaptability, as long as there is clear growth in each of these career moves.

But what do employees see as the biggest red flags?

According to a poll conducted by Monster Jobs, the biggest employee red flag is micromanagement.

"Based on the data, it's clear workers crave independence, and above all trust, from their employers," said Scott Blumsack, chief strategy officer at Monster.

"Managers who spend too much time 'helicopter managing' or utilising a 'my way or the highway' approach will find themselves in a constant state of employee turnover."

Furthermore, over half of the 6,000 survey respondents also cited inflexible work schedules and the famous “meetings that could have been e-mails” as major employer red flags.

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