Nibletz Staff
Employees can be one of the greatest strengths of the business. However, they can also be a big vulnerability. In most cases, you’re going to be able to solve the little problems they bring with them by helping them better tackle their workload and ensuring their needs, such as the need for a safe environment, are met. But when problem employees come along, it can be a touch more difficult.
Give them a chance to mend their ways
Even if you are completely justified, getting rid of someone can sometimes impact the rest of the business in a negative way. That’s why, in most cases, you should give employees a chance to grow from their mistakes, recognize where they’ve gone wrong and focus on positively reinforcing the right behaviour. Of course, in instances where they are harmful to the work environment, such as being involved in harassment or bullying, team morale is better boosted by protecting the rest of the team from that presence.
Have a policy
A good HR policy is going to be able to shut down a lot of the trouble that a problem employee can bring to the business. It’s a good idea to get HR specialists on board to make sure you’re finding the most compliant and sensitive means to allow employees to formally lodge complaints, as well as the best process for addressing the issue with said problem employee. One of the most crucial aspects of an HR policy is that anyone dealing with complaints, disciplinary measures, termination and the like need to diligently document every part of the process.
Protecting the business
That documentation is going to serve as proof that you’ve done everything you could have to make any action against an employee fair. That’s necessary, because legal action from disgruntled employees, trying to prove unfair dismissal or other legal infringements on your end, aren’t too uncommon. That’s why it’s always a good idea to keep a legal team like Pearce Webster Dugdales in your contact book. The right legal team won’t only protect you in the courtroom, but often they can communicate with the complainant in much clearer terms that can often lead to cases being settled on if not dropped entirely. But it’s a good idea to have that aforementioned documentation ready as your legal team’s greatest weapon.
Keep them happy
When you have to let employees go, it doesn’t always have to be a huge bust-up, of course. Many companies go out of their way to help those employees transition in a way that keeps both sides pacified, if not happy. For one, you can offer them a temporary contracting position that allows them to get paid to take care of their duties while you look for a replacement and they look for a new job. You can offer office space as part of an outplacement deal to help them find employment, not to mention access to good recruitment agencies.
A disgruntled employee making a big exit can be damaging to team morale, so you need to make sure you’re looking after the rest of team even better for a while. While prevention is the best cure, you have to be ready for some fallout.
