Managing: Solutions for Dealing with Difficult Employees

Being in a position of managing employees can be stressful especially if you have to deal with a difficult employee on a daily basis. Sometimes the cure for the problematic employee is firing, but it is not always cost effective to just get rid of the problem. Sometimes you have to keep the employee on board and it will take extra motivation from you to get them to act professionally. There are many reasons people have difficulty showing up to work on time, completing assignments, and following directions. As a manager, boss, or supervisor it is your job to take care of the problem and part of doing that is finding a cause. Don't just assume that the employee doesn't like his/her job or doesn't care about the company, get to the bottom of it. Here are some tips on talking to difficult or problematic employees and conflict resolution for the workplace.

As a manager or supervisor it is your job to make sure employees are completing tasks on time and up to par. This includes showing up to work and for meetings on time and ready to work, completing assignments correctly, cooperating as part of a team, and following instructions given to them. When there is a problem, especially reoccuring issues that disrupt the workplace you need to step up and do something. When approaching any problematic situation fully recognize and understand everything before you confront the employee. Find out who is in involved, what happened, where, when, and why. Never confront, accuse, or single out an employee in front of others. Instead take them to an office, outside the building, or to the break room where you can speak privately. Sometimes issues at work involve more than one person but you should not conference them together because it may start a fight.

Talk to your employees one at a time and be understanding. Your job as a manager or supervisor is mainly to listen, observe, and draw your own conclusions about what is happening. During the course of an issue with an employee remain focused and unbiased, even if you don't personally happen to like them. You may not always get a straight answer from your employees and repeat offenders are likely to get you caught up in their excuses. Even if you can't figure out the source of the problem you should still try to fix it. Every situation requires different methods. Here are some example situations and practical suggestions that may help.

Doesn't Show Up to Work On Time
There are many reasons why employees do not show up on time. Some circumstances surrounding lateness may be out of the employees control like an accident blocking the highway or a train delay. These situations are generally excuseable but repeated lateness should never be tolerated. Talk with the employee to figure out what the problem is. Maybe they just need to wake up earlier, take a different train, or maybe they don't enjoy coming to work so it's not worth getting there on time. Whatever the reason is you have to get to the bottom of it so lateness is not a daily problem. Maybe the employee can carpool in order to get to work on time. Offer suggestions for helping them and if all else fails threaten termination or suspension. Firing an employee means you will have to hire and train another one, but keeping someone around who can't commit to the schedule is worse. Employees must be dependable and part of that includes showing up on time.

Unfocused Employees
Showing up to work on time is wonderful, but employees also have to be ready to work as soon as they clock in. We've all met that employee that takes 3 hours to complete a 1 hour task or who spends half the morning in the break room sipping coffee and chatting. Sometimes employees aren't at their desk when you expect them, they are always a few minutes late to meetings, and they always need a bathroom break. These kind of employees really waste a lot of time and can disrupt the workplace flow.When employees come to work they need to be focused and able to work steadily throughout the day. In the case of the unfocused employee, ask them to rate their own performance. Most people know when they are not doing their best but as a manager you may have to point it out. Explain how you would like the employee to act while at work and make sure there are consequences if the rules are broken.

For these types of people you have to make it clear that a professional demeanor is expected of them. Assignments and tasks need to be completed on time and with quality. Be fair in handing out consequences though or you may find a mutiny growing. If two separate employees are doing the same things wrong, they should have the same consequences as one another. Don't play favorites among your employees because it will cause problems later on. As with any problem, if all else fails threaten termination or suspension. In some cases you may just have to fire the employee; each individual situation will be different.

Calling in Sick/Taking Days Off
Sometimes an employee is truly sick and can't help but call in sick on a regular basis. Unless they have some sort of disease or physical disability, most employees are generally healthy and can show up to work everyday. Calling in sick too much is probably one of the main reasons most people get fired in combination with taking too many days off. If the employee is truly sick they should be able to produce some sort of prescription, hospital paperwork, or even have the doctor call you or write a note. There should be a limit on how many sick days, and days off one person can take within a time period. If the limit is crossed than the employee needs to be terminated. Of course, you should give fair notice when an employee is close to reaching the limit. They may change their mind and come to work afterall.

Long Breaks and Lunches
Employees that abuse the time limits of breaks and lunch can end up wasting precious time. Employees should be careful to make sure they do not take more than the allotted time for lunch or breaks. Explain to each employee what the lunch/break policy is and make sure the consequences are clear. It may help to send people on break in pairs or in groups of 3 to make sure the time limit is not stretched. No other employee is going to let someone else make them late, and possibly in trouble. If the rules are broken you should enforce the consequences immediately.

Incomplete Work
As a manager or supervisor it is your job to make sure employees actually complete tasks and assignments. There are all sorts of reasons employees don't finish their work. The workload may be too large, they may be stressed over a personal matter, the employee may not have understood directions, or they may just need a break or vacation. Find out what the source of the problem is and eliminate it. Once the issue is corrected the employee should be able to finish their work on time.

Drug and Alcohol Abuse
Substance abuse can lead to major problems in the workplace and termination of employees. When it comes to drug or alcohol absuse your best bet is to help the abuser. Offer guidance, counseling, and even rehabilitation. You don't have to personally be there every step of the way for an addicted employee but you can be a source of help by providing resources. To most people, their job is important to them and they do not want to loose it, even if they happen to abuse drugs or alcohol. If the employee refuses to admit to a problem even when caught abusing you may have no other option but to terminate them. For many addicts, change does not come easy and they will have to hit bottom before they can get better. Sometimes loosing their job is a part of the whole process. Each individual situation involving substance abuse will be different. Be sympathetic but do not enable or condone the behavior, especially in the workplace.

Communication is key when it comes to solving employee problems. Be personable and your employees will be more likely to open up and tell the truth. Know your employees names, how long they have been working for the company, and listen when they talk. You may discover the root of many problems by simply listenting to and observing your employees. You may not always find a cause but as a manager it is your job to try to help solve the problem. Remain focused, fair, and unbiased when dealing with problematic employees. Encourage your employees to support each other and work as a team. Keeping good employees is hard and there is always a potential for problems but these tips will help you work it out fast so you can get back to work. Good luck.