Everyone has had that one co-worker who makes everyone's lives harder. They never meet deadlines, or they talk down to their teammates. The work environment becomes so toxic that all employees can do is hope the bad co-worker calls in sick.

Many employees feel helpless when dealing with a toxic co-worker. In August, Fierce, Inc., a company that specializes in leadership development and communication training, released a survey of more than 1,000 full-time American employees. It found that 53 percent of respondents deal with horrible co-workers by ignoring them. This is because 41 percent said that once management knows about the situation, leaders do nothing.

It's time to step up. Confront toxic employees -- or risk losing your quality talent. But the solution isn't always as simple as firing the negative influence.

Here are four ways to deal with a toxic employee:

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