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The 10 Most Frustrating Employee Work Habits & What you can do to Prevent Them
Posted on March 3rd, 2009 No commentsWe’ve all experienced it, or at least know someone who has: an employee who is habitually late to work, takes extended coffee breaks, or makes personal calls during work time - and leaves you or your co-workers to pick up the pieces. Work habits like these can put a damper on your bottom line. But, with a few simple changes you can turn these challenging employees into your star employees.
Below are some of the most frustrating employee work habits and what you can do to prevent them:
- Absenteeism and tardiness. Beyond the monetary costs associated with missed work, absences also inconvenience customers and co-workers, slow productivity, and can impact employee morale. To combat absenteeism and tardiness, create, clearly communicate, and strictly enforce a policy on attendance and punctuality. To stress the importance of regular attendance, let employees know you mean business from the get-go; this includes discussions of the issue during the pre-hire and orientation processes. And don’t forget to reiterate company expectations regarding attendance to existing employees as well. To do so, consider periodically circulating the company’s attendance policy and broaching the subject during staff meetings. Another effective way to ensure employees meet company expectations related to attendance is by tying it to performance. Inform employees that attendance records will be assessed annually as part of the performance review process and that excessive absenteeism will result in disciplinary action.
- Using work time for personal business. With the surge of technology in the workplace, employees are readily exposed to electronic communication and its ease of use. As such, some employees are tempted to spend work time emailing family and friends, shopping, or accessing social media websites such as MySpace or Facebook. To help deter employees from using work time - and resources - for personal reasons, consider developing a policy on electronic monitoring. The policy should indicate under what circumstances employees may be monitored, a specific list of what company resources are subject to monitoring (i.e., telephones, email, internet, etc), and that employees should not have any reasonable expectation of privacy while on the job.
- Failure to work well with others. Some employees can’t get a long with others, or simply prefer to work independently. While independent work may be necessary, it may also be critical for employees to work together on certain projects. To ensure employees get along and are productive when working together, consider implementing programs designed to foster teamwork. One option is the use of assessments in order to pair individuals based on personality traits that compliment one another. Another option is to train managers on how to build effective teams. It’s the manager’s responsible to create an informal and relaxed environment which promotes the even exchange of ideas among co-workers.
- Taking extended breaks. Although many states require that employees be entitled to break and meal periods when working a certain number of hours per day, some abuse the privilege.Employees reporting back to work even just a few minutes after their break ends should be subject to immediate disciplinary action.A verbal warning may be all that’s needed at first; however, an employee that habitually returns to work later than scheduled should be subject to more extensive discipline. Remind employees of the company’s policy on break periods and make sure you strictly enforce it.
- Lack of communication. Failing to keep co-workers informed of important business-related issues can be a major problem and can result in fellow employees acting on incorrect information, or even worse, “spinning their wheels”. To help promote the importance of communication, develop systems that require employees to keep one another informed, such as a review process in which employees must get approval before moving onto the next step or knowledge management software that requires employees log the projects they’re working on, the status, and any important notes pertaining to the project.
- Talking on cell phones. Cell phone use in the workplace distracts co-workers and takes away from time that is supposed to be spent working. Reiterate the company’s policy on cell phone use and communicate to employees that the use of cell phones during work time is strictly prohibited. This includes making calls, receiving calls, and text messaging.
- Negative attitudes. Employee attitudes can rub off on co-workers, and worst of all, clients and customers.To help prevent negativity from spreading like wildfire, managers need to get to the root of the problem.Employees with attitude or performance problems are often experiencing underlying issues such as family problems, financial troubles, health issues, and the like. It’s important for managers to work with these employees to uncover the true cause of their actions and to set realistic goals toward improvement. If your company utilizes an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), provide the employee with contact information and inform him or her that everything discussed will remain confidential.
- “That’s not in my job description” syndrome. Some employees may think that because a job responsibility is not specifically stated in their job description that they have the option to choose not to do it. Bluntly put, employees unwilling to do what you ask of them are guilty of insubordination. Let these employees know that a job description is only intended to provide basic guidance relating to one’s job requirements and is not a full listing of all duties required of the position; consider including a statement in job descriptions that reiterates this. Also remember to update job descriptions regularly as a position grows and evolves with changing business needs.
- Gossip. Unfortunately, gossip is all too common in today’s workplace with profound affects on productivity, morale, trust, and even one’s chances for career progression. When a rumor spreads, it’s the supervisor’s responsibility to defuse its damaging effects, meet with the parties involved, and resolve the conflict.
- Time wasters. Procrastination and poor time management can cause missed deadlines, shoddy work quality, and unnecessary stress - not to mention the fact that, for the company, time wasted is money wasted. To ensure employees are maximizing their time spent at work, managers need to help by setting clear expectations, assisting employees in planning and prioritizing their day, and providing guidance if needed.
You may have thought some of your employees were lost causes. Maybe those who are habitually late for work or those that just don’t know how to manage their time efficiently, and subsequently, rarely meet deadlines. But, by clearly communicating company policies and strictly enforcing them, employee behavior will likely improve. And those that still don’t shape up, ship out!
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12 Tips for Appropriately Handling Workplace Investigations
Posted on February 16th, 2009 No commentsInvestigations into employee conduct should always be made cautiously. Whether an investigation involves a less than serious infraction, such as a poor attendance record or a more serious claim of sexual harassment, employers must take the necessary measures to uncover the truth. Not only are investigations helpful in pinpointing inappropriate conduct, in certain circumstances they may actually be required by law. Many state and federal statutes require employers to investigate claims of discrimination and harassment.
When it is determined that an investigation into an employee’s conduct is necessary, use the following guidelines to do so in a way that is non-discriminatory and will yield the information you need in order to make an informed decision:
- Take immediate action. Begin the investigation promptly after receiving a complaint. Especially in the case of a harassment claim, employers are obligated to act immediately. Designate an investigator and get the ball rolling.
- Designate an investigator. Designate the investigating responsibility to either an internal investigator or hire an outside third party investigator to review the case. The option you choose will depend upon the severity of the issue at hand as well as the parties involved. In most cases, an external investigator is preferred because witnesses and victims may be more likely to share their accounts of what occurred with someone outside the company.
- Establish expectations. Inform the alleged victim and wrong-doer of the steps involved in the investigation process. Specifically, these individuals should be aware that an investigation will be conducted, witnesses will be interviewed, management will review the findings to determine if any policies were violated, and finally, a decision will be made regarding the appropriate action to take.
- Prepare for the interview. Prior to beginning the investigation, determine who will be interviewed and prepare a list of questions. Interview the complainant first and obtain the names of possible witnesses. Speak with witnesses and then interview the accused last. If he or she provides an alternate version of the events, re-interview the other parties paying particular attention to inconsistencies in the story. Take detailed notes and request each interviewee sign a written statement attesting to the information he or she provided during the interview. And don’t forget to stress the importance of confidentiality and that the company will not retaliate against those cooperating in the investigation.
- Remain impartial. To achieve effective results, an investigator must never be biased. Employees will not discuss their concerns openly and honestly if they believe the investigator is taking sides. Additionally, when reviewing a case investigators should never consider any prior knowledge about the parties involved including their personal attributes and work history. Decisions must be based solely on the facts at hand.
- Only hear the facts. During interviews, the investigator must only accept the facts of the case; conclusions should be dismissed. In an effort to uncover only relevant facts, avoid asking overly general questions and force witnesses to explain exactly what was said or done. Asking who, what, where, when, why, and how typically elicits factual responses.
- Ensure confidentiality. Those interviewed should be advised that the investigation is a confidential process and that all information relating to the investigation is shared only on a “need-to-know” basis. Witnesses should be advised not to discuss the investigation with anyone except the investigator. In addition, any documentation related to the investigation, must be kept in a separate and secure file.
- Document everything. Each interview should be thoroughly documented with detailed notes taken by the investigator. Where certain responses are considered particularly crucial, it is important that they are taken down verbatim.
- Take interim actions as appropriate. Decide if any interim actions need to be taken, such as the temporary transfer of one or both parties or a paid suspension pending the results of the investigation.
- Prepare a written report. One of the investigator’s final responsibilities typically is to prepare a report of the investigation, which may include any documents supporting the conclusions. Be sure to include signed statements from interviewees.
- Follow-up. When the investigation is complete, the results should be communicated to the parties involved. Complainants “left hanging” may conclude their concerns were ignored or were considered insignificant. Following the investigation, the victim should be encouraged to report any further problems and investigators should follow-up with the complainant to ensure that he or she has not become a victim of retaliation.
- Take appropriate action. If the claims are substantiated, the wrong-doer may be subject to some form of discipline, including suspension or termination. Circumstances may also necessitate that you press criminal charges against the employee, such as in the case of employee theft. The nature of the disciplinary action does not need to be disclosed to the complainant; all that needs to be communicated is that the company took appropriate action to remedy the situation.
Workplace investigations not only help to uncover inappropriate conduct, but also help to document the good faith efforts of an employer to respond to accusations of wrongdoing. When investigating any sort of employee behavior, follow the guidelines above in order to protect the parties involved and reach an unbiased conclusion.
