NFIB

Handling Problem Employees
03/ 03/ 2003

by Vicki Gerson

Generally speaking, problem employees fall into two categories: those with bad attitudes and those lacking the skills for the job.

It is difficult to work with employees who constantly have a bad attitude. They drag down the morale of the other employees and lack positive comments, energy, enthusiasm and commitment to the job. Other times you have an employee who tries very hard to do the job, but just doesn’t have the skills.

No matter which category an employee falls into, you must approach them about the problem behavior.

Do not reprimand the employee in front of co-workers, but talk in private instead. Make sure you don’t put the employee on the defensive. For example, let’s say that you allow employees to listen to the radio at their workstations, but John has been abusing this privilege by constantly playing his music too loud. If you say, "John, your behavior is disrupting the entire office. I won’t tolerate it," your comment immediately makes John want to defend himself.

Instead, try to minimize the accusations. Consider this comment: "John, there seems to be a problem, and I’m hoping you can help me solve it. As you know loud noise can hurt people’s ears and cause hearing loss. So as not to disturb your co-workers, could you lower the radio in your office a bit or wear headphones?" This way, you are enlisting John’s cooperation.

If talking about the problem behavior doesn’t work, you have three choices: discipline, reassign or dismiss the employee.

When you are faced with a serious offense or an employee with a perpetual bad attitude, there may be no choice but to dismiss the employee. Make sure you have thoroughly documented the reasons for the dismissal with examples and dates of the transgressions, so that the employee can’t hit your company with a lawsuit.

When you are dealing with an employee who lacks skills to do the job, consider reassigning them to a different job if they demonstrate good work ethics and contribute to a positive company environment.

If you look closely, you may discover an employee who seems incompetent may simply be misdirected. This employee works hard, but has not understood your directions and is confused about what you expect. Before demoting or reassigning this employee, hold a private meeting so the individual understands what you expect and gets on the right path.

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