Making Your List and Checking It Twice? Be Sure to Check Off Any Employee Relations Issues!

As the year draws to a close, many of us are focused on finishing up projects and heading home for the holidays. As leaders, probably the last thing we want to deal with is employee relations issues.  But employee relations issues have no holidays, in fact, are often more prevalent – or finally coming to light – in the last couple of months of the year.  And they need to be addressed. Sooner rather than later.

Employee relations issues typically fall into four categories:

1. Legal issues such as workplace harassment or discrimination
2. Conflict between co-workers or employees and managers
3. Attendance issues
4. Disciplinary issues such as poor performance, policy violations and behavior problems

The first step is to identify the problem and admit there’s an issue.  If it’s been going on for a while, hopefully you’ve been documenting examples and impact.  If it’s a legal issue, work with your HR professional and legal counsel to follow the appropriate steps for resolution.  Do not let the issue fester until after the first of the year.  Unaddressed employee issues have a negative impact on employee morale and can damage your credibility as a leader.

The holidays are a joyous time for most, but also can be stressful.  Busy schedules, family gatherings or estrangement from family, crowded shopping malls, and various holiday obligations can make people cranky. This may play out in the workplace in the form of conflict between co-workers or employees and their managers. If you observe a normally even-tempered employee suddenly at odds with others, take some time out to have a one-on-one to discuss what’s going on.  It may be holiday stress or it may be a deeper issue. The key is to have a conversation to understand and resolve the conflict before it leads to a bigger problem.

There are many distractions during the holidays, not the least of which is checking off that gift list. This may lead to some lapses in attendance (either physical or mental!) Remind employees about the attendance policy – which should be clearly stated in your Employee Handbook – and apply the policy equally and fairly to all your employees.  When there’s an issue, deal with it promptly per policy.

Just as you want to finish up those projects before the end of the year, finish up any disciplinary issues that have not been addressed. Enable yourself to head home for the holidays with those issues checked off your list, and start the New Year with a clean slate.

Of course, the first step in preventing employee relations issues is having a comprehensive Employee Handbook that clearly states attendance expectations, company policies, grounds for termination and behavior guidelines. If you do not have an Employee Handbook or haven’t updated yours in awhile, contact me at Connect to HR at 408.768.1075 or connecttohr@yahoo.com.  It’s a great way to start the New Year!