You have played the leading role in building your business but you couldn’t have done it without your team members. Over the years, you’ve had a few ups and downs but generally, your employees have been productive and happy at work.
Unfortunately, in recent weeks, one of your employees has started to become disruptive and you’re concerned that if it continues it will rub off on other staff. What are your options when faced with such a situation?
Be proactive
With most employment disputes, it’s best to act as early as possible. A festering grievance has the potential not only to decrease productivity, but customer complaints could also arise and the morale of your staff may be impacted.
Keep your business head on
While you need to be proactive in dealing with a disruptive employee, it’s important not to turn it into a personal issue. Even if the employee is firing personal attacks at you, responding, in the same manner, will only escalate the situation.
Try listening
While the behavior of the employee might be inappropriate, there may be legitimate reasons why they are acting up. Something unacceptable may have happened to them at work or they might have some health issues that are on their minds. It’s amazing how much an amicable conversation can resolve.
Disciplinary measures
If there is no legitimate reason for your employee’s grievance, then you may need to start thinking about disciplinary measures. Ensure that they are fully aware of the behavior you deem to be inappropriate, as well as the consequences if their actions don’t change. Make sure you have an accurate record of all issues and proposed resolutions on file.
Running a company is no picnic, and as the boss, you often need to make difficult decisions. To ensure that your actions are in line with the law, make sure you seek out some legal guidance when dealing with disputes.