Dealing with Disgruntled Employees

Dealing with negative, disgruntled, or even hostile employees cannot only be a real nuisance, but can lead to firings and lawsuits.  That’s why dealing with frustrated, unmotivated employees, who create a bad work environment, should be dealt with professionally and within the law. 

First, if a company policy is in place for dealing with disgruntled employees, you should follow it.  If your company has its own guidelines then it is very imperative that you use their policies so that there is consistency within the work place.  If there is no such policy then you should seek help from your supervisor or human resources department and together form a plan of your own, documenting your moves every step of the way.

It is important that as a supervisor you take a strong position in handling the disgruntled employee.  The first part of your plan should deal with confronting the employee as soon as the inappropriate situation or behavior occurs.  If you are not sure of how to handle your employee issue because you need more time to investigate or to think about the consequences, make it clear to the employee that you have serious concerns about their behavior and that you would like to meet with them to discuss the issue.  Schedule a time to meet with the employee later in the day or first thing in the morning.

When you do meet with your employee, explain a specific description of a hostile environment, employee actions that lead to such an environment, and what the company philosophy is for taking action to alleviate the problem.  Many times, the employee does not realize that his or her behavior has become a problem.  Perhaps taking these first steps can help solve many of the problems early on without adding to a bad work situation. 

In extreme circumstances, where a supervisor is unable to communicate with the disgruntled employee, or perhaps the issue is between these two individuals, your HR consultant can intervene and facilitate a mediation meeting.  This tactic, according to HRAdvisors.com, will help solve a number of problems and can be the wakeup call that the employee needs to turn the disruptive behavior into positive behavior overall.  As HRAdvisors.com explains, mediation is a very professional way for the company and the supervisor to get a little added help in a circumstance that maybe they are not equipped to handle or have received the proper training.  Here is some other advice from HRAdvisors.com –

Sometimes through mediation or one-on-one meetings, it may become necessary for the employee to go through a trial period or receive some obligated time off.  It is very important to note that whatever tactic is chosen, all parties involved must maintain a professional demeanor around the employee.  This is an issue affecting the production in a company and must be handled in a professional manner so that the morale of all employees is not threatened.

Remember, there are many ways to deal with a so-called “bad apple” employee without pulling the trigger and firing that person.  However, if firing is the way to go, be sure you have done everything within your means to resolve the matter.