Keep reading to find out how HR Zone member Kirsa Edwards dealt with warring employees.
What would you have done differently with hindsight?
Either spoken directly to the line manager as I’m sure he would have been appalled to think things had gone so far, or got all parties concerned around a table to try to work through and resolve the issues.
Was the outcome satisfactory for all parties?
I would say it’s still ongoing, time will tell. The line manager is completely ignorant to the whole situation, the employee is working very hard so as not to give him any excuses but she is on the edge and the wrong word at the wrong time could make all the difference.
How to deal with this grievance – advice offered by members:
- Carol Harrison advises she follow procedure and keep it formal.
Other articles in the What Happened Next series
- Sickness and disciplinary: From sick bed to disciplinary hearing
- Drug Dealing: Putting a lid on employee pill popping
- Dealing with smelly staff: How to handle an employee that smells like a rubbish dump
- Should a grievance be lodged? Dealing with a bullying boss
- Stubbing out smoking: How can you make employees kick the habit?
- Getting management buy-in: How to persuade senior management that your strategies work
- Anyone been to clown school?: Fresh ways to motivate staff
Related Any Answers posts:
- Bullying boss: Handling persecution in the workplace
- Petty grievances: Formal procedure used excessively
- Complaints about staff: Does anyone have a policy for dealing with complaints about staff?
Anything to add? Please post your comments below.
One Response
Resolving this problem
Hi Kirsa
Sorry to read this so late in the day. I’m currently facilitating a very similar issue to you for a client, so thought I would share with you how I’m resolving it, and hope this will still be useful for you at this late stage.
There are historical issues within the team I’m working with that have not been resolved, but swept under the carpet, involving the line manager. There are also issues between individual team members that are indirectly affecting the rest of the team.
A formal letter of complaint from an employee within the team has been received by the employer, not to pursue any formal complaint against an individual, but to bring about a change in the team’s behaviours. Mediation has been offered between individuals, but agreement for this cannot has not been reached between the parties.
Following interviews with several team members I have recommended an indepth team development to avoid any formal investigation by the employer.
The purpose of this team development is to bring to the surface the emotions and unhelpful behaviours that are being experienced in the team, and to provide the team with attitudinal development and skills to move forward from this. The overall objective is for the team to become self-managing of behaviours and attitudes, and to foster an environment of open and honest feedback – to create a new positive team climate.
By working with this at a team level, the process will bring up the personal issues that need resolving between individuals, but within the context of how they want to be as a team, and by sharing with them how to move on from where they are now.
The line manager and his manager from the senior team are to be involved in the process too. Managers these days are expected to be experts in understanding and managing their own emotions and those of others. There are ways to develop these skills and attitudes effectively through emotional intelligence development, and it doesn’t just have to be at management level either. EI-based team developments are highly effective too.
Kirsa, if you would like to chat further about what’s involved to make this kind of development successful, of course please do contact me.
Best wishes
Amanda