The Science of Personality Podcast Workplace Freeloaders
Dec 9, 2025
The discussion dives into the concept of workplace freeloaders—those who contribute little but take much. They distinguish between ordinary freeloaders and toxic employees who complicate team dynamics. A coin game illustrates how freeloaders benefit at others' expense. The impact of remote work on freeloading risks is explored, along with personality traits that predict such behavior. They emphasize the importance of quickly addressing freeloaders to maintain team motivation and suggest effective strategies for detection and management.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Freeloader Defined By Net Contribution
- A workplace freeloader takes from the group without providing an adequate contribution back to the group.
- Adequate contribution is context-dependent and need not be equal across members.
Freeloading Undermines Team Cooperation
- Public-goods games show freeloaders get the highest personal payoff while reducing others' willingness to contribute.
- That dynamic creates disengagement and undermines future cooperation within teams.
Two Different Organizational Drains
- Toxic employees and freeloaders damage organizations differently: freeloaders shift existing work onto others, toxic staff add new work and interpersonal costs.
- Both lower engagement but require different management responses.