Dealing With Problem Employees

The Employment Law Alliance conducted a study showing that 44% of all employees have violated workplace rules or regulations.

No surprise there, except that the number is so low.

The study further identifies some of the common attributes of a poor employee, as written in the New Hampshire Business Review:

• Late arrivals and early departures on a regular basis (that are not part of an accommodation)
• Unexcused excessive absenteeism
• Disrespectful, abusive, vulgar or rude language towards co-workers, managers and/or customers
• Poor attitude toward the company and/or co-workers
• Constant complaints, gossip or other disruptive behaviors that bring down employee morale
• Poor or unprofessional job performance and/or quality of work

The lesson for employers is DON'T WAIT! If you see these behaviors in an employee, do not delay. Immediately sit down with that person and correct the behavior immediately. You cannot afford to wait. A negative employee is a cancer on the workplace, spreading that disease throughout your organization. If you allow poor behavior from one employee, others will believe they can get away with that behavior as well.

Some of Swenson's Management Principles apply here:

What you allow, you encourage.
Inspect what you expect.