Problem Employees

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Problem Employees

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Title: Problem Employees

1
Problem Employees
2
CHAPTER OVERVIEW

The chapter identifies common types of problem
behavior among employees.
Those most likely to be encountered by
supervisors are
absenteeism and tardiness,
insubordination and uncooperativeness,
alcohol and drug abuse, and
employee theft.

There are two general methods discussed to help
supervisors improve employee performance
counseling and
the discipline process.
In addition organizations may have an employee
assistance program (EAP) to assist troubled
employees.

4
Counseling

Counseling helps employees solve their problems,
which enables them to perform better at work.
Supervisors should counsel employees when they
need help in determining how to resolve a problem
that is affecting their work.
When employees have problems that supervisors are
unqualified to help with, they should refer
employees to a professional.

Counseling may involve
directive counseling, in which the supervisor
suggests solutions, or
nondirective counseling, with the supervisor
primarily listening and encouraging the employee
to look for the source of the problem and
identify possible solutions.

6
Discipline

In administering discipline, the supervisor
explains the significance and consequences of the
employees behavior, then, if necessary, lets the
employee experience those consequences.
A typical process of discipline occurs in stages,
with the supervisor
first administering one or more warnings,
then a suspension, demotion, and
finally dismissal.

The supervisor should administer discipline
promptly, privately, impartially, and
unemotionally.
All disciplinary actions should be documented and
placed in the employees file.

Positive discipline focuses on preventing problem
behavior from ever beginning.
It can include
making sure employees know and understand rules,
creating conditions under which employees are
least likely to cause problems,
using decision-making leaves when problems occur,
and
rewarding desirable behavior.

The goal of positive discipline is
self-discipline among employees or employees who
voluntarily follow the rules and meet performance
standards.
Supervisors who expect self-discipline from their
employees must practice it themselves.

Discipline problems may be the result of personal
problems, such as substance abuse.
These employees are defined as troubled
employees.

When the supervisor suspects that an employee is
troubled, the supervisor should
document the problem,
then meet with the employee and describe the
evidence of a problem,
focusing on the employees performance at work.

The employee should then be referred to a
professional for help and informed of the
consequences of not getting help.
Employees should be made aware that their job
performance must improve.
Follow up from the supervisor will be in terms of
improved job performance.

To best help their employees, supervisors should
learn about their organizations procedures and
resources for assisting employees.
This may involve referring employees for help
outside the organization or to the organizations
employee assistance program.

The supervisor may also seek the help of others
in the organization.
The supervisors boss and human resources
department can help the supervisor handle problem
employees in ways that follow
organization guidelines,
legal requirements, and
the union contract (if any).

A supervisor should discuss a problem employee
with his or her boss, so that the boss can offer
advice and provide necessary authorization for
such steps as suspension or dismissal.

16
Common Types of Problem Behavior

In general, problem employees fall into two
categories
(1) employees causing problems,
for example by starting fights or leaving early,
and
(2) employees with problems,
such as an employee whose money worries are a
distraction from work.

By handling such employees appropriately, the
supervisor can help resolve the problem without
hurting the morale or performance of the other
employees.

When supervisors observe poor performance, they
tend to blame the employee for lack of ability or
effort.
Both supervisors and employees tend to blame the
organization or another person for not providing
enough support when explaining their own poor
performance.

To uncover the true source of a performance
problem, the supervisor might consider the
following issues
Whether the employee has performed better in the
past
Whether the employee has received proper training
Whether the employee knows and understands the
objectives he or she is to accomplish
Whether the supervisor is providing enough
feedback and support
Whether the supervisor has encouraged and
rewarded high performance
Whether other employees with similar abilities
are performing well or experiencing similar
difficulties.

The problems that supervisors most commonly
encounter are
absenteeism and tardiness,
insubordination and uncooperativeness,
alcohol and drug abuse, and
employee theft.

21
Absenteeism and tardiness

This is an expensive problem.
An absent employee may be paid for the time off,
or
replaced with a less productive person.

Also, missing work is often a sign of a deeper
problem. such as
a family crisis,
anger about something at work, or
plans to leave the organization.

23
Insubordination and uncooperativeness

Insubordination Deliberate refusal to do what
the supervisor or other superior asks.
Poor performance may result from not
understanding how to do something.
This is corrected by training.
Sometimes an employee performs poorly or breaks
rules because he or she chooses to do so.
This may be uncooperative behavior or deliberate
refusal to do what he or she is told

Many kinds of negative behavior fall into the
following categories
General poor attitude
criticizng,
complaining, and
showing dislike for the supervisor and
organization
Making an art out of doing as little as possible
Spending most of the day
socializing,
joking around, or
moving as slowly as possible

Regularly failing to follow rules
forgetting to wear safety equipment or
sign out at lunchtime
Disregard for supervisors instruction to do
something,
saying it will be done later
Sarcastic, hostile, or passive behavior which may
be a symptom of an underlying problem

26
Alcohol and drug abuse

Some poor performance such as unsafe practices,
sloppy work, or frequent absences may be a
symptom of alcohol or drug abuse on or off the
job.
These employees are expensive to the
organization.

They can hurt the organization by lower
productivity.
They are more likely
to quit,
to cause accidents,
to have a higher use of disability and sick
benefits, and
to increase insurance costs.

The supervisor should note that the federal
antidiscrimination law treats substance abuse as
a disability, and companies should encourage the
employee to get help.
Any actions taken with regard to the employee
should focus on work performance, not on the
substance abuse itself.

Since the supervisor is responsible for ensuring
a safe workplace for employees and others, it
means that if an employees suspected substance
abuse is creating a hazard, the supervisor must
act.

30
Employee theft

Employees take companies inventory, supplies,
and money as well as steal time by giving the
employer less work than they are paid for.
A supervisor should take measures to prevent and
react to theft.

In addition to organizational procedures,
supervisors should carefully check the background
of anyone they plan to hire.
They should make sure that employees follow all
procedures for record keeping.
They should also build employees morale and
involvement, make sure employees understand the
costs and consequences of theft, and set a good
example.

If a supervisor suspects an employee is stealing,
he or she should report it to the boss and to the
police or professional security consultants.

Poor performance related to drinking may be more
difficult for a supervisor to confront than
illicit drug use.
Drinking is socially acceptable,
problem drinking behavior generally is not well
understood, and

the supervisor may sympathize with the employee
who has a drinking problem.
For example, a supervisor may overlook poor
performance when he or she knows the employee is
suffering from a hangover.
To counteract this tendency, a supervisor must be
aware and take action is not acceptable.
In addition, supervisors should be aware of signs
of drinking and drug use that can impair
performance.

35
Counseling Employees

If the supervisor responds to problem behavior
immediately, he or she will sometimes be able to
bring the problem to a quick end without complex
proceedings.

Often the most constructive way a supervisor can
address problem behavior is through
counseling, or
learning about an individuals personal problem
and helping him or her resolve it.

For simple problems, such as tardiness resulting
from keeping late-night hours, calling the
problem to the employees attention may lead to a
solution without the supervisors help.
For more complex problems, such as financial or
substance abuse, the solution will be for the
employee to get expert help.
In either case, counseling is a cooperative
process, with supervisor and employee working
together.

Employee theft. Employees take companies
inventory, supplies, and money as well as steal
time by giving the employer less work than they
are paid for. A supervisor should take measures
to prevent and react to theft.

There are many reasons for stealing the companys
materials and time. Some of the reasons are
related to personal problems, such as financial
problems. Other reasons are related to attitudes
toward the company and management. Some employees
think the company owes them because they are
underpaid or in some other way taken advantage
of. Supervisors can help reduce theft if they are
aware of employee attitudes and if they recognize
and respect the employees contributions.

Counseling The process of learning about an
individuals personal problem and helping him or
her resolve it.

Counseling involves one or more discussions
between the supervisor and the employee.
These discussions are by nature a personal matter
as well as a discussion of performance.
These sessions should take place where privacy is
assured and will be free from interruptions.
Methods of approaching the session include
directive or nondirective counseling

Directive Counseling An approach to counseling
in which the supervisor asks the employee
questions about the specific problem
when the supervisor understands the problem, he
or she suggests ways to handle it.
Nondirective Counseling An approach to
counseling in which the supervisor primarily
listens,
encouraging the employee to look for the source
of the problem and to propose possible solutions.

43
Directive Counseling

The most focused approach to counseling is
directive counseling. Steps include
asking the employee questions about the specific
problem,
questioning and listening until he or she
understands the source of the problem, and
suggesting ways to handle the problem.

If there is a specific program or benefit offered
by the company, the supervisor can suggest the
employee explores these options.

45
Nondirecdve Counseling

The supervisor and employee will often find it
most beneficial to help the employee develop and
change, rather than to look only for solutions to
a specific problem.
In this approach, the supervisor primarily
listens, encouraging the employee to look for
sources of the problem and to propose possible
solutions.
Ideally, by working out their own solution,
employees will find they have the ability to
resolve their problem.

46
The Counseling Interview

The counseling interview begins with a discussion
of what the problem is.
Because the counseling often takes place as a
result of personal problems the employee is
having, he or she may be emotional during
counseling sessions.
The supervisor should be prepared for emotional
or angry outbursts by the employee.
He or she should be calm and reassure the
employee that emotions arent innately good or
bad.

The next step is consideration of possible
solutions and the selection of one to try.
Rather than simply prescribing a solution, the
supervisor can usually be more helpful by asking
the employee questions that will help the
employee come up with ideas of his or her own.
When the supervisor and employee agree on a
solution to be used, the supervisor should
restate it to make sure the employee understands.

The interview ends with the supervisor scheduling
a follow-up meeting.
This should take place after just enough time for
the employee to begin seeing some results.
At this meeting, the supervisor will review their
plans and discuss whether the problem has been or
is being resolved.

DisciplineAction taken by the supervisor to
prevent employees from breaking or continuing to
break rules.
SuspensionRequiring that an employee not come to
work for a set period of time the employee is
not paid for the time off.Demotion Transfer of
an employee to a job involving less
responsibility and, usually, lower
pay.Dismissal Relieving an employee of his or
her job.

Discipline is action taken by the supervisor to
prevent employees from breaking or continuing to
break rules.
In many cases, effective discipline can quickly
bring about a change in an employees behavior.

51
Administering Discipline

There is a distinction between discipline and
punishment.
Punishment is an unpleasant consequence given in
response to undesirable behavior.
Discipline is broader it is a teaching process.

The supervisor explains the significance and
consequences of the employees behavior, and then
if necessary, lets the employee experience those
consequences.
Steps to administer discipline are usually
dictated by company policy or union contract.
The employees rights are usually spelled out in
the same documents.

53
Discipline Process

Before taking any action, the supervisor needs to
have a clear picture of the problems.
He or she should collect the facts before
proceeding.
Then the supervisor should meet with the employee
and ask for his or her version of what happened.
When the supervisor observes and understands the
facts behind problem behavior, disciplining the
employee takes place in four steps.

54
Warning

(1) A warning may be written or oral.
Some organizations have a policy that calls for
an oral warning, to be followed by a written
warning if performance does not improve.
The warning should contain what the problem
behavior is,
how the behavior affects the organization,
how and by when the behavior is expected to
change, and
what actions will be taken if the employees
behavior does not change .

The usual practice is to have the employee sign
the warning as an indication that the situation
has been discussed with him or her.
If the employee refuses to sign, the supervisor
should make a note of the refusal.

56
Suspension

(2) A suspension involves requiring that the
employee not come to work for a set period of
time.
The employee is not paid for this time off.
The time period can be from one day to a month,
depending on the seriousness of the problem.

57
Demotion

(3) A demotion is transferring an employee to a
job involving less responsibility and, usually,
lower pay.
Some employees find a demotion a relief if they
performed poorly because the job was more than he
or she could handle.
More often it leads to negative feelings.

58
Dismissal

(3) This is also called termination, or
discharge.
This will cost the organization in that it
requires the organization to recruit, hire, and
train a new employee.
However, it may be necessary if an employees
offense is serious or if he or she will not
respond to other forms of discipline.

Types of behavior that may lead to dismissal
include
failure to correct problem behavior,
deliberate damage of the organizations property,
fighting on the job, or
engaging in dangerous practices.

In following the steps of the discipline process,
the supervisor should keep in mind that the
objective is to end the problem behavior.
The supervisor need take only as many steps as
are necessary to bring about a change in
behavior.

61
Guidelines for Effective Discipline

When an employee is causing a problem, the
supervisor needs to act immediately.
Ignoring the situation signals that the
supervisor doesnt consider the problem serious.
As a result, the problem gets worse.
The employee may increase the problem behavior,
and other employees may follow his or her
example.

When discussing the problem with the employee
involved, the supervisor should focus on learning
about and resolving the issue at hand.
The supervisor should listen until he or she
understands the problem, then begin discussing
how to correct the problem in the future.
Talk about behaviors instead of personalities.
Avoid name calling and dredging up instances of
past misbehavior.

The supervisor should keep emotions in check.
It is appropriate to convey sincere concern about
the problem, but other feelings are largely
irrelevant and can stand in the way of
constructive discussion.
Being calm and relaxed when administering
discipline tells the employee that the supervisor
is confident of what he or she is doing.

Other guidelines for effective discipline
include
keep the matter private, and
be consistent in administering discipline.

65
Documentation of Disciplinary Action

Employees who receive discipline sometimes
respond by filing a grievance or suing the
employer.
To be able to justify his or her actions, the
supervisor must have a record of the disciplinary
actions taken and the basis for the discipline.

Remember that performance appraisal records are
available on the employee.
These records may show that the employees
performance is adequate for the same problem for
which the supervisor is administering discipline.
This is a good reason to make sure that the
performance appraisal is fair and a true
reflection of the employees performance.

Documentation is especially important when the
supervisor must terminate an employee.
The employees file should show the steps the
supervisor took leading up to termination, and
should include specific behaviors that led him or
her to dismiss the employee.

Organizations usually have rules or guidelines
for acceptable or unacceptable performance and
behavior.
The level of discipline is often included in the
guidelines.
Some behavior may result in immediate suspension
or discharge without going through the other step
listed in the text.

Examples that may result in immediate discharge
include
fighting with another employee or
behavior that has the potential of serious injury
or
death to one or more employees.

Before taking any action, the supervisor needs to
have a clear picture of the problems.
For this reason, an organization may include in
its disciplinary steps a category called
suspension pending discharge.
This step is used to complete the investigation,
although it appears that the behavior warranted
discharge.

An example may be when two employees appear to be
fighting.
Both employees may be suspended immediately.
If the investigation shows that only one employee
was actually hitting the other employee, one of
the employees may be terminated and the other
employee will return to work

The supervisor should follow all guidelines for
discipline.
Sometimes this is different from our own ideas
about what is fair.
In the example of fighting described above, a
supervisors sense of fairness may suggest that
both employees must be at fault since it takes
two to fight.
One employee may have made a remark that
irritated the other employee, resulting in that
employee hitting the first employee.

This does not make them equally guilty and
deserving the same punishment.
The employee who made a remark or called the
other employee an unacceptable name (unacceptable
to that employee) may warrant some form of
discipline, but it is the employee who hit
another employee who warrants discharge.
Employees are responsible for their own behavior.
When that behavior is outside of what is
acceptable, that employee will be disciplined
accordingly.

Positive Discipline Discipline designed to
prevent problem behavior from beginning.
Decision-making Leave A day off during which a
problem employee is supposed to decide whether to
return to work and meet standards or to stay away
for good.

75
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