Refusal to obey orders is not always insubordination

If you don't do what is asked of you your not necessarily insubordinate. Before doing a job, Ask the following.

• Was the order clearly expressed to the employee as a direct command? Check whether the order was phrased so that you knew you were supposed to perform a task, or whether there was any ambiguity. There is a big difference between stating “I want you to...” versus asking “Can you...” With the latter phrasing, you may assume you have the option of not performing the task or not doing it immediately.

• Do you have a good reason for saying no. For example, you may not have the required skills or time to effectively carry out the task.

• Do you believe that by performing the task you would be putting your own safety, or the safety of another, at risk? A caveat to the previous point is that, in general, you cannot be considered insubordinate for failing to comply with a request related to unsafe or illegal acts.

• Did you recognize that you were breaking a rule or could you make it look like this at least? If you did not intentionally fail to comply an order, it's not insubordination.

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insubordination.htm - When is it and when is it no insubordination. Explaination and a lot of examples