Dealing with problem employees -- the earlier the better
STEPHEN HEIDEL
San Diego Daily Transcript , Wednesday, June 12, 2002
Managers frequently have difficulty dealing with employee behavioral problems. They'd rather sweep problems under the rug than deal with them because of the discomfort it causes them. Managers know talking to an employee about unacceptable behavior will not be a pleasant conversation. The employee may become angry and deny the behavior, or at least minimize the extent of the behavior's negative impact on the workplace.
As a result of this head-in-the-sand management style, employee problems often go on for a very long time before anyone deals with them. Employees with problems may isolate themselves from co-workers, communicate poorly, alienate themselves from management, show no enthusiasm for their work, or throw temper tantrums.
Eventually the problems caused by these employees have a ripple effect and impact other employees in a negative manner. Good employees may resent either being subjected to verbal abuse from an employee they don't like or having to "carry" someone who is not pulling their own weight. Employees may also lose patience with management for not being able or willing to address the problem.
Morale suffers because employees resent having to put up with chronic problems they think should be resolved by management. If the problems are bad enough, good employees may begin to take "mental health days" to avoid the problem employee and the associated stress. These good employees may even look for another job, thinking that is their best alternative since management refuses to deal with the problems in their workgroup. Ironically, after causing months or years of turmoil, the problem employee may then file a stress workers' compensation claim or file a disability claim, saying the workplace is at fault or they are too sick to work anymore.
Judy was a sales representative for a real estate office. She prepared many marketing packets for her clients. Her usual mode of operation was to "dump" the raw data on the clerical pool just hours before she needed it. This created anger among the secretaries, who often had to drop what they were doing to accommodate Judy's requests. It also created conflicts with her co-workers, the other sales staff. Judy would demand to have her work done first, forcing her co-workers to wait. Fortunately the sales manager had years of managerial experience and dealt with Judy quickly and firmly. The sales manager knew that he risked losing his other sales staff if this problem was allowed to continue. He instructed Judy to allow 48 hours turnaround time for her packets. If something was needed more quickly, Judy was to talk directly to the sales manager and he would decide how to prioritize the work. Though Judy was never very organized, her disorganization remained her problem, not one for the entire office.
Good managers address behavioral problems before they become long standing. They know it is easier to deal with problems as they arise than to let them build up. There are several steps they take to address behavioral problems.
- Watch for red flags. The signs they look for include employees who are not good team players, are irritable for more than a few days, have frequent mood swings, place unreasonable demands on other employees, etc.
- Address these behaviors quickly. It is much easier to deal with minor problems when they happen than to let unacceptable behavior go on for a long time before addressing it.
- Talk to the problem employee in a manner that conveys concern and respect. This is not difficult when a problem occurs, but becomes much more difficult months later. By then the problem has become more complicated, other employees may have been mistreated and become scared or angry, and it may be necessary to take immediate disciplinary action. A problem employee may have a hard time understanding what the problem is if they have engaged in the problematic behavior for months before a manager addresses it.
- Refer to the employee assistance program (EAP). When employees have a behavioral problem, they may be going through a stressful experience in their personal life. There is no need for a manager to act as a therapist in these situations. Remind the employee their EAP is a resource they may want to access.
- Document all interactions. The goal of the conversation with the problem employee is to change the unacceptable behavior. Hopefully the conversation will lead to a change in behavior by the problem employee. Nevertheless, it is important to create a "paper trail" to document the problem, the conversations with the problem employee and the expected change. Since some problems may lead to disciplinary action and/or termination, this documentation protects both the manager and the employer.
Good managers understand it is easier to deal with behavioral problems as they occur than to wait for months or years before addressing them. Waiting creates a whole new set of problems that could have serious consequences for the entire business.