One Bad Apple: 6 Tips for Managing Problem Employees

Problem employees can affect morale, workflow, and undermine common goals. Maybe you have one in your office, and maybe you've tried to downplay or even ignore the situation in hopes that the employee will either decide to leave the company or miraculously develop a better attitude. But neither has happened, and now it's time for you to take action. No question, you have a serious management challenge ahead of you.

Following are six tips for dealing with this troublesome employee.

How to handle a problem employee

1. Confront the problem

Confrontation isn't easy, but when one employee's unacceptable behavior has begun to affect other employees, it's time to attack the problem. In a calm and easy tone, and while maintaining eye contact, tell the employee how others in the office perceive their behavior and actions. Then present the employee with a self-improvement plan, with the condition if measurable goals aren't met they will be out of work. Make sure you both sign the plan. You have now created a paper trail that will protect you if you have to let the employee go.

2. Do they have value?

One of the first things to determine when assessing a problem employee is whether that individual has any net value to the company. If someone does add value, but has a behavioral problem, it's probably worth your time and effort to find a workable solution.

3. Adopt a stance of no tolerance

If the employee is confrontational, immediately enforce a policy of no tolerance. Such behavior can escalate fast, and the results could cause physical and emotional harm to you and other employees, destruction of property, lawsuits, decreased productivity and profitability, to name just a few. Meet with your human resources manager, if you have one, and your lawyer, to identify the severity of the activity and your options for dealing with it.

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4. Meet with the employee

If the employee's behavior is less than ideal but still tolerable, meet with them to discuss their behavior. Give them specific examples of what you qualify as unacceptable behavior, and then frankly and empathetically ask them what their reasons are for the behavior. Sometimes poor behavior at the office is due to deeper personal issues, which could include drug or alcohol abuse, marital problems, or parenting issues. And while these reasons don't provide an acceptable excuse for treating others poorly, they are humanistic reasons that you can probably empathize with.

5. Let them know you're serious

Make sure the problem employee understands that you are serious about enforcing policies and procedures for all employees, and that you're trying to be as understanding and supportive as possible. You need to instill in him or her the firm belief that your organization exists to provide everyone with an opportunity to earn an income in a safe and supportive environment.

6. Communicate with others in the company

While you're working behind-the-scenes with this employee to resolve the problem, you need to communicate to other members of your team to reassure them that you're concerned about the health, safety, and productivity of all individuals within your organization, and that you're taking the necessary steps to resolve the matter.

What happens if the problem employee refuses to change?

If the employee refuses to change and you've exhausted all measures for bringing about that change, employment termination should be seriously considered. As a manager, it's your job to create and uphold a safe and professional environment for everyone.