“The best advice I can give to an employer regarding difficult employee behaviour is to have clear and trusted guidelines in place. Even if, as a firm, you want to be the best employer you can be to your employees with the most outstanding benefits, there need to be the right policies in place for off-boarding and contract termination should you encounter any issues.
We once dealt with a situation on behalf of a client, where a new starter’s negative attitude was impacting their team. Although having passed their probation period, their behaviour remained detrimental to the company and endless, informal conversations proved to be fruitless.
The unacceptable behaviour was a massive drain on management time and energy, as well as poor employee dynamics and low morale causing suffering to the hidden costs of business. Therefore, after long consideration, a decision was made to terminate the employee’s contract.
Fortunately, we were on hand to give our recommendation for how best to handle this situation. By preparing a script to use during these termination meetings can help managers keep on the right track and remain in control should the employee become hostile. During the meeting, the line manager should outline the concerns, supply evidence to support the concerns and the reason for the decision.
The off-boarding process (draft letter, security badge and IT access) was planned, so could be actioned immediately after the termination had been confirmed.
By not dealing with a situation effectively, there may be underlying repercussions. For example, on this occasion, the company didn’t realise the effect this situation had on team morale. We were able to help the company understand the importance of evaluating a situation and establishing facts to then take prompt, decisive action that’s in line with internal policies.”
If you have any questions, then please contact Bal at Balbir.dhesi@wildercoe.co.uk or give us a call on 0207 724 6060.
