Insubordination occurs when the employee refuses to do the job and actually fails to do the job.
It is not insubordination if the employee does the job, even if it is done with constant complaining, grumbling, delays and frequent prodding. These are cases of poor work performance to be addressed through the normal practice of identifying the problem and taking appropriate action. An employee can generally state reasons for disagreeing with an idea or why the assignment is considered a bad idea. Such feedback may be constructive. Return to Insubordination .