The Rise of the Difficult Employee
In a recent article of the same name, SHRM.org explored “The Rise of the Difficult Employee.” Recent data suggests that the number of employers referring employees to corrective programs over the last four years increased, rising 120 percent. The question is why? Are we working in a more stressful world, causing employees to “lose it” at work? Are managers just more afraid of legal consequences and therefore do little or nothing about people with problems?
What has been your experience? How do we deal with the difficult employee?
24 Responses to “The Rise of the Difficult Employee”
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I think at first a verbal warning is best. Be professional about it. Take the employee to a private area/ office to discuss the issue. The conversation should be recorded to keep on file. The employee should be told they will be monitored for improvement purposes. If the employee doesn’t improve and continues to have bad behavior, then they should be talked to again or terminated depending on their behavior.
From personal experience, I strongly believe in most cases supervisors become too comfortable with their employees. For the most part it is naturally managers/ supervisors and employee(s) becoming too friendly, as a result not knowing where to draw the line between “friendship” and “co-coworker.” When the “friendship” evolves the supervisor most likely will have knowledge of the particular employee(s) personal problems or needs. As a result it becomes difficult to take any type of discipline action towards that particular individual. I believe managers/supervisors feel some degree of responsibility towards the employee(s), especially during this economical crisis. Another reason for not taking any type of actions can be because manager/supervisors will excuse the behavior of an employee based on knowing the individual at a personal level.
Very insightful. This becomes especially hard when the friendship occurs before the supervisor/employee relationship develops. If you are promoted at work to become the supervisor to your friends, this can be a struggle. What do the rest of you think? -Dr. B
I agree that it can be a struggle. I was in a similar situation in a past job. I was promoted to management in a past position in which I had become friends with most of the other employees. One day I received a phone call from one of the employees asking for a shift change because they were running late and didn’t want to be written up. I explained to them I couldn’t do that for them because I had a duty of honesty to our employer. The employee was mad and hung up on me. Later during that day the employee approached me and apologized for their behavior. They then told me I was a good friend, manager and loyal employee. It’s hard doing the right thing at times but pays off in the end when you do. I believe if that employee wasn’t a true friend they would have probably taken a more negative route to the situation.
Yes it is because sometimes your friends will take advantage of you and won’t be afraid to do anything wrong and feel that you won’t punish them for the consequences
The friendship aspect in the work place can be a huge struggle. I am faced with this challenge now actually. My manager has become to friendly with employees and has no structure to offer to the company. It is natural to befriend employees in the workplace but it is also important to acknowledge the boundaries that go along with it. I had recently went to my manager about a problem I was facing with a co-worker. I went to her for recommendations about how to solve the problem. After I left work for the day my manager told the co-worker everything I had said and it created a huge problem. I feel like my manager breached the manager/employee confidentiality and my manager mixed her personal life into a work situation. She had become to good of a friend to the co-worker I was having problems with. I now do not feel comfortable to approach my manager about any situation. I feel that the respect I had for her has depleted. Friendships at work can be very difficult and can interfere when they shouldn’t.
I was put into that exact situation. At the gym I became good friends with a member of our closing/cleaning staff. we are the same age, and we would hang out nearly everyday after my shift ended and he was coming in. After a few years I was asked to become the manager of the closing staff, as the other manager was let go. It WAS one of the more difficult aspects of my job. More so for me than him. I began to bring in new procedures and meetings. after a few months I no longer had the awkward feeling. as he was able to adapt to my way of managing him. at first we had a little friction but for the most part I didnt boss him around, i brought in my procedures, held training days and we worked together to make the job better for both of us. luckily he still works here and does a decent job so I don’t need to discipline him, or have not yet. but at the same time, we both know our roles.
the negative side effects of becoming your friends boss is due in part by how the newfound boss approaches the subordinates I believe. I didn’t approach it with the mindset “I am the boss you have to listen to me” i approached it with the mindset of “Let’s work together to make things run smoother for both of us”
I think the idea that some employees are becoming more difficult is an interesting one. There may be several things at work that create this idea. First, employees of the past would simply be fired if they did not perform or became an impediment to the organization’s success. Over time, this has changed in part due to the numerous laws that protect employees on an ever increasing number of fronts along with the associated increase in legal action by employees against employers related to terminations. Second, I think employers better recognize the huge cost in hiring and training staff. As organizations have become more aware of these costs, they have been working more to correct employee behavior than to simply fire them. This is good for both the employee and the organization. Each instance where an otherwise good employee receives correction allows the employee to grow personally and within the organization.
I think Eric nailed it. Organizations are more aware than ever as to the cost of hiring and training new employees. I think this makes them hesistat to approach any subject of behavior with employees.They want to keep their employees happy too. The hard part of this is, in order to keep the “difficult” employees happy, sometimes they make the good employees unhappy. I also think Managers would be more likely to talk with employees regarding certain behaviors if they had good HR departments to support them. I also feel that many managers need more training on how to handle these situations.
I feel that organization hate to go outside of their job just like how Eric had just said and train someone new. But, if they give an employee and verbal warning for their first mistake and then if that does not work then give them a written and let them know you mean business. It weighs down and organization when you have everyone doing their job and one employee has to be taken care of and always having to baby them to do their job. If organization could be on top of their employers the work environment would be so much better. Where I work I make sure their job is done and done correctly. I don’t work in a difficult job but I make sure my employees take accountable to what they do and if they do something wrong I give them a verbal and if it happens again I give a written counseling. If the process keeps repeating itself then it’s time to go our separate ways and find someone else.
I agree with Phillip, 80% of the time it comes down to accountability.When the employee has a high regard for their duties and as well the employer is held accountable to the training and development of employees, a dynamic organization can begin to be created. As for the troublesome employee(s), the corrective action such as a one verbal, two written documents, then perhaps termination will be a valid excuse to avoid any suits. This applys to the comments made by Eric and Miranda, when all documets are legally verified, then the problem employee(s) can either be “rehabilitated” of terminated.
I do not necessarily think that the rise in referring employees to corrective programs is because employees are becoming more difficult. Although sometimes a stressful work situation can cause a fantastic employee to wig out and become a difficult employee, I think that there are several other reasons for this rise; including fear of legal consequences, union contracts, and the desire to retain well trained employees. Often times, the Unions will write in their contracts different levels of discipline which can include a behavior correction program, and an employer must follow those steps. Then, as Eric stated, there is a desire to keep employees who you have invested in, so you send them to a program to straighten them out. Another reason would be the fear that you can get sued for not doing enough to make sure the employee had all of the necessary tools to be successful in their job. I think in my experience, Tulare County has continued training in this respect, where an employee learns how not to be a problem and how to deal with various situations. And, if an employee faults, they get referred to an even more stringent behavioral program or to the EAP. I believe that they go this route because it is a requirement of the employee’s union contract, not a desire to retain the employee. I agree with ongoing training that my employer provides because it is a constant reminder of the dos and don’ts of the workplace. And, I believe that using the corrective programs are a good way to provide the employee with tools that they may lack.
In my opinion, employers let people get away with bad behavior due to the potential legal consequences. For an employer to take appropriate disciplinary action, it must ensure that it keeps proper documentation of the incident/issue. For example if an employee is being aggressive or hostile towards co-workers, the supervisor should document the incident and take necessary steps to talk to the employee in order to find out what the problem is. Next, the employer should come up with a plan to solve the issue and monitor the employee’s future behavior.
Based on my personal experience, a lot of the time the supervisor lets the employee’s behavior slide because they do not have the confidence to approach the employee and address the issue. They would rather let the employee’s poor behavior continue and then have the excuse that “it’s just so-and-so.” and expect their co-workers to put up with it because that is just how they are. Also, like what Eric said, supervisors do not want to spend the money it cost to hire and train a new employee. This is true especially when it comes to the employee’s work performance. They may never call in, show up on time, and do what is demanded of them, but have a bad attitude. An employer will keep the difficult employee because they have good performance in the company. Supervisors and upper management need to address these issues early on to avoid the employees from becoming too difficult.
You bring up an interesting point related to supervisors not addressing issues. Do you think it is because people don’t like conflict or they are not properly trained in their role as supervisor?
I am convinced that most people have no idea how to handle conflict AND never get the proper training for that same reason.
- Brice
To answer your question Eric, I believe the main reason for supervisors not addressing issues is due to the idea of wanting to avoid conflict. My organization just held two conflict resolution meetings to try and resolve the issues faced within the company. Within the meeting you can see the people who are willing to face the challenges and those who like to sweep them under the rug. Its unfortunate when you see managers who ignore conflict and think they will disappear on their own. To many friendships in the office creates a poor environment. People are afraid to say the wrong thing and want to avoid the possibility of hurting a friendship no matter the consequences it has to the work place. Even managers tip toe around each other not wanting to address situations. People are afraid to step up and take control of the situation. Its good to consider how actions affect others but in the same instance managers need to be able and step up and do what they are paid to do. I don’t really know if being under trained has anything to do with it. I have a manager who has over 15 years of experience and who is certified in HR. It appears to me that she is properly trained and should have the knowledge of conflict resolution. The actions prove otherwise. Mangers still have trouble enforcing rules and reprimanding employees no matter how much training he or she has. Personalities and personal issues show through and effect how a manager handles their self. Christine was right when she said managers don’t have the confidence to approach employees. I have five years of work experiences between two companies. In both places I found managers who have been afraid to confront employees. Managers do need training but personality evaluations are also important. People need to utilize their backbone. Your training becomes unimportant if you don’t have confidence.
I agree with Amber, many supervisors perfer to sweep issues under the rug rather than addressing the problems/issues. Unfortunately, I’ve seen this in my workplace many times. There have been times when supervisors wait until things get out of hand before taking steps to address the issue.
In response to Eric’s question, I would have to say that it is both. People do not like to deal with conflict. It’s easier to ignore a problem and hope that it will disappear over time. On that same note, supervisors seem to generally not be trained properly to handle these type of situations. It has a lot to do mainly with the fact that trained or not, no one likes conflict. They do not want to deal with it and hope it never comes up. When it does, they’ve been dreading it so much they don’t know the necessary steps that need to be taken in order to solve the problem. I think difficult employees need to be dealt with. I agree with Phillips comments on how the manager is held responsible for giving the employee the necessary warnings. If the employee does not take those warnings seriously and change their behavior, it’s time to let that employee go. Although hiring and training a new employee is costly, it will be more beneficial to the company in the long run to have someone that is more cohesive with your company and the culture/values that it has.
I think that are the properly trained in their role as a supervisor. After working as a regular employee they never have to address anyone when problems are happening. There should be classes for supervisor and let them know how to handle different cituations for different problems.
I have had similar experiences to Christine. Many times, supervisors avoid issues employee behavior issues daily simply because they do not know how to confront the employee. I have heard supervisor simply say “that is just their personality” and they will get away with many things. Even when things get out of hand, I have seen supervisors try find a solution from their directors but they also find a way to avoid it and not deal with conflict. I really don’t think many companies take time and focus on their management teams. Employee behavior issues can arise daily and if the supervisor is not properly trained to deal with conflict, the work place can become chaos and loose focus. I think if supervisor were better trained, they would feel more comfortable confronting difficult employees and situations. The supervisor should start with warnings and then write-ups if the employee does not improve.
I think that a lot of my class mates have hit the issue right on the head. The employees know that there are many laws that protect them in today’s world. Where as when my mother or grandparents first started in the workplace they were told how to do their job and if they did not meet the expectations the way that their supervisor saw fit then they would simply be left to find a new job. It is almost as some people take their job for granted in today’s world because of the laws protecting them. Many will yell discrimination for termination when in fact it is just because they did not do what was expected of them. Also companies don’t want to fire and have to deal with being understaffed and having to re train people.
In my experience, the manager is often skilled at their task or their position within the industry, but are not necessarily great at managing people. I believe that many managers are very afraid of confrontation, and many just do not have the skills to communicate correctly. Now, it also does not help that many employees in the workforce today feel entitled to the responsibility and authority possessed by their employer, so they are not afraid to challenge their employer. This problem I believe actually begins in the home, then the classroom, and then worsens further in the workplace. The proper way to deal with these people is to follow the company policy on discipline, whether or not they are your friend. If an employee is written up for disciplinary reasons, they are likely not to “act up” again. The problem with this is that there are too many laws defending the employee who is in fact causing the problem. In the end, what should be done is not often done for this particular reason.
I think a major reason we are becoming the era of difficult employees is based on individual desires. More often then not people think they are better than the people above them, they think they deserve more, they are never happy with their “now”. They could make 100,000 a year and yet, someone makes more, and they feel entitled to more as well.
I forget where i read it(possibly in class) but there was statistic where “85 percent of people viewed themselves in the top 5-10 percent” in driving, in working etc. So when the view those “below” them making more money or getting that promotion they are not happy.
When an individual isn’t happy, then their work will mirror their emotions. The way society leads most people, not all is a major cause in the difficult employee, the “baby boomers” and “greatest generation” people knew what it meant to work, and the value of their life wasn’t based on staying with the current trends (for the most part), they wanted to provide for their families. They wanted to help create something significant. There are people like this still around but the amount of negativity that is fed to us as a society, leads to negative thoughts of their job, and life.
I say the key to finding a happy and hard working employee, is to find a happy and hard working individual.
Find a person with good honest values. and you will have far less difficult employees.