In\nthe course of work duty, as an employer\/ HR manager, you will inevitably run\ninto a difficult employee or someone who is simply unproductive. This can be\nsomeone who fails to perform at the level that they are being compensated or a\nperson who is constantly late and always has an excuse. This behaviour is\nsimply unacceptable and should not be tolerated. Simply because they will end up costing the company time and\nresources in an effort to make up for lost time and work that is not up to\nstandard. Managing difficult employees can be a very sensitive issue and so you\nmust find the best approach to handle the situation. In this article we\u2019ll look\nat some of the ways in which you can begin dealing with difficult employees. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The\nbest way to deal with a difficult employee is to promptly call a meeting with\nthem and discuss their behaviour. Low productivity, missed deadlines and even\nmissed hiring opportunities as a result of laziness, tardiness or inability to\nwork with others eventually negatively impacts the company. Use this time to\nexplain to them the cost of their behaviour and the impact it has on their\ncolleagues as well as the company. When a difficult employee understands what\nis at stake they are then able to understand the need for a change in their\nbehaviour and why a particular cause of action is taken. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
No\none, not even a difficult employee, wants to deal with the humiliation of being\ncalled out publicly which is why it\u2019s best to schedule a private meeting with.\nThis will enable them to talk freely about the issue without feeling observed. Sometimes\nan employee\u2019s behaviour could be a result of various issues like poor mental\nhealth, family problems or even alcohol and substance abuse. Talking to them\nprivately and opening up an avenue for them to talk about the issues that may\nbe causing their poor work performance will help both parties find a solution.\nIn many cases once the root of the problem is adressed the employee\u2019s entire\nattitude shifts and they are back to being productive and get on well with\ntheir colleagues. This is why it is important for companies to have Employee\nAssistance Programs (EAPs) to deal with such matters (see article on Employee\nAssistance Programs).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once\nyou\u2019ve spoken to your employee, it is important to set expectations and\nconsequences for failing to adhere to these expectations. Give a specific\ntimeline by which the employee\u2019s behaviour must change and be sure to give them\nadequate time to implement these changes. It is important to note that\nconsequences do not mean threatening your employee with job termination if\ntheir behaviour does not change. You should however, ensure that your employee\nis aware of the repercussions that they could face if they do not change in the\nagreed upon time. These consequences could be in the form of a formal warning\nletter, a demotion or dismissal as a last resort. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
While\nyour employee is working towards improving their behaviour, ensure that you\ncheck up on their progress regularly. This will hold them accountable and help\nthem stay on track. Be sure to document each problem you have with an employee,\nthe disciplinary measures taken as well as the resources you connected them\nwith in order to help them improve. This is important because in some cases an\nemployee\u2019s behaviour might lead to the filing of legal action and this\ndocumentation will be useful. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In\nsome cases, an employee will simply not be able to comply with the company\u2019s\ncode of conduct despite your best efforts. No employer wants to fire their\nemployees however in some cases contract termination is the best and only\noption. Not everyone is capable of change and keeping a difficult\/ disruptive\nemployee will only serve to hurt the company in the long run. If you have gone\nthrough the company disciplinary process in order to find a solution and even\ncarried out an intervention then it may be time to cut your losses and let the\nemployee go. <\/p>\n\n\n\n