We've all been there. You're in a meeting and someone rolls their eyes while a colleague is speaking, or makes a dismissive comment that lands like a brick. Your stomach tightens. Do you say something right now, in front of everyone? Or do you let it slide and deal with it later? It's one of those workplace moments that can leave you second-guessing yourself for hours.

The truth is, there's no one-size-fits-all answer to whether you should call someone's bad behaviour out in front of others. It depends on the context, the severity of the behaviour, and what outcome you're actually hoping for.

This question was answered by Andy Wright – Host, CEO Streamtime and founder of Never Not Creative, with extensive experience in creative leadership and workplace wellbeing, Renee Hyde – Client and Agency Leadership at Howatson+Company, specialising in running large integrated clients and complex workplace challenges, and Martine Beaumont – Mental Health Expert, founder and CEO of Select Wellness with over 30 years of experience as a psychotherapist and executive coach supporting workplace wellbeing.

The complexity of calling out behaviour

As Martine explains, this isn't a black-and-white situation: "That's a tricky one because part of me says you're going to put someone into a whole world of shame if you do that in front of other people." The immediate instinct might be to address it privately after the meeting, setting boundaries around what's acceptable whilst understanding what might have triggered the behaviour.

But there's another side to consider. Martine notes: "There's also another part of me thinks there are at times a need to call out behaviours publicly when they're happening to let the broader organisation know what's okay, what's not, and build that culture of not allowing really bad behaviours."

The key factors to weigh up include the context, the gravity of the behaviour, who's present, and whether clients are involved. Each situation requires its own approach.

When to handle it privately

For smaller infractions like eye-rolling or dismissive body language, Renee suggests a more measured approach: "Rolling your eyes at someone, I think that's certainly a kind of after-the-meeting 'hey I noticed you did that' – doesn't feel like it's constructive to a positive working relationship if you don't agree with what I've got to say, let's just have a really human conversation about that."

This approach treats these moments as "microaggressions" that are better addressed through direct, human conversation rather than public confrontation. It opens the door for understanding whilst still setting clear boundaries.

When public intervention is necessary

However, some behaviours cross a line that demands immediate action. Renee emphasises the importance of "ally behaviour of calling out really bad behaviour" depending on the scale and severity. She outlines several approaches, from indirect methods like saying "wow, that's really outdated thinking" or "that's very 80s of you," to more direct responses: "That's actually not how we behave in this agency, we have a philosophy of caring fiercely and that's not really what you're doing here today."

The power of calling in versus calling out

Andy shares a valuable distinction between "calling it out" and "calling it in." He describes wrestling with this dilemma after witnessing inappropriate behaviour at an industry event: "I went through all these emotions of 'oh I should call it out here and now'... then I thought about it a bit more and I spoke to a few other people and I was like 'no I'm just going to have a conversation with this person.'"

This approach recognises that whilst we need to address bad behaviour, there are different ways to do it. As Andy puts it: "There's this difference between calling something out – you call it out in the moment without thinking about what that could do to the other person... maybe I've made mistakes in the past and maybe if someone called it out publicly, what would that do to me?"

Creating systems for accountability

One creative solution comes from Renee's experience with a mining company that developed an internal campaign to tackle problematic behaviour. They created a non-shaming, endorsed way of calling out behaviour with the tagline "say it again." This gave everyone a mechanism to address issues without making someone feel like "you're a bad person, you deserve to be excluded."

The key is developing systems that acknowledge we all fall below the line sometimes, especially under pressure, whilst still maintaining standards.

Finding the grown-up approach

Remember the classic feedback principle: give constructive feedback in private and positive recognition in public. Even when someone hasn't been acting like a grown-up, you can still choose the mature response.

As Andy reflects on his difficult but necessary conversation: "It was a horrible conversation, I hated it... but it's a good way of just going 'actually, what's the grown-up way of approaching this even if that person wasn't being a grown-up in the first place?'"

When it becomes too much

If you're consistently dealing with problematic behaviour at work, or if the stress of these situations is affecting your wellbeing, it might be time to seek additional support. Sometimes these workplace dynamics can take a real toll on our mental health, and that's completely understandable.

For professional support and resources, visit our Where to Get Help section, which provides access to mental health services and crisis support.

Know your rights

If you're experiencing bullying, harassment, or other serious workplace issues, you don't have to handle it alone. Never Not Creative's Support Line offers free introductory legal advice for situations involving bullying, sexual harassment, abuse, and underpayment. Sometimes knowing your rights and options can give you the confidence to address problematic behaviour more effectively.

Moving forward with confidence

The question of whether to call someone's bad behaviour out in front of others doesn't have a simple answer, and that's okay. What matters is that you're thinking about it thoughtfully, considering the context, and choosing an approach that aligns with your values and the outcome you want to achieve.

Whether you choose to address it privately or publicly, the important thing is that you don't ignore behaviour that makes the workplace worse for everyone. Trust your instincts, consider the consequences, and remember that creating a better workplace culture is everyone's responsibility.