Employee with Peter Pan syndrome?

The babysitting hassle has eased as most subordinates are now accustomed to the new job flow and are back to doing what they do best. However, one exception remains—a subordinate who has been certified as having Peter Pan syndrome, and he is a constant source of headaches.

Peter Pan syndrome is a popular psychology term (though not an official medical diagnosis) used to describe adults—often men—who resist growing up and taking on the responsibilities typically associated with adulthood. The name comes from Peter Pan, the fictional character who never wanted to grow old.

This man, not so young and already a father of one, is always craving attention. I also suspect he may have traits of hyperactivity and attention deficit.

At times, he would complain that he could not earn money from his work due to certain rules. I initially thought that by working on changing those rules, he might finally achieve what he wanted. But it became clear that his complaints were simply for the sake of attention. When it came time to deliver his work, he would pile up endless excuses for not doing it.

Ironically, whenever a task requiring his skills arose, he was the first—and loudest—to volunteer. Yet his chances of actually turning up were always 50-50. And when he failed to appear, he wouldn’t even bother to explain why.

It has become obvious that communicating or entertaining him is a waste of time. The more his attention-seeking antics are ignored, the more desperate they become. He is like the shepherd who cried wolf—except in his case, it’s not sheep at risk, but everyone’s patience. It is irritating, but the best remedy for people like him is not to react at all. The most effective approach is to treat him as though he simply does not exist.