For the most part, you enjoy running your own business, but that isn’t to say there aren’t challenges. Your employees are mainly loyal, hard-working and cooperative. However, you are currently having difficulties with one employee in particular. They just aren’t pulling their weight and this attitude is starting to rub off on your other workers.
What are your options in such a scenario? Is there anything you can do to get an unproductive employee back on track?
Acknowledge the issue and look at the potential causes
The first step to resolving the problem is to acknowledge it. Sometimes, it may be tempting to overlook the issue and hope that it resolves itself. In the majority of cases, this just isn’t going to happen.
It’s easy to blame someone else whenever something goes wrong, but this isn’t always the best course of action. You’ve achieved so much in life by holding yourself to the high standards that you expect of others. It might be worth asking yourself if you’ve done anything to offend the employee, even if this was inadvertent. For these purposes, an informal conversation may suffice.
Remind them of your expectations and set goals
You are always clear with prospective candidates during the application process. You set out clearly the vision and ethos of your company before offering any jobs. To work for you, employees must agree to these principles in writing through an employment contract. They are also clearly stated in the employee handbook, which everyone involved in the business has access to. It may serve you well to remind the disruptive employee of what they agreed to in the beginning and set some goals for improvements.
While litigation may not be your first tactic, you do have legal options. Make sure you seek guidance before taking this step.
