Disgruntled employees are hopefully few and far between in your business but no business is immune to them if the worst should happen.
A disgruntled employee might have already left the business or they may be in disputes with the business currently. How you handle them and what you do next is important to ensure your reputation as a business and how far the employee might go in the future.
With that being said, here are some tips for protecting yourself as a disgruntled employee.
Always remain professional
First and foremost, you should always lead with professionalism. As a business, your reputation is important and if you’re seen to be handling a disgruntled employee with anything other than professionalism, then you’re likely to find yourself in some trouble.
Make sure all correspondence is being dealt with in a timely manner and that respect is given, regardless of whether it’s being received.
You should look at how you are being with the disgruntled employee in person too and ensure that the utmost professionalism is being given to that person in the flesh too.
Try to resolve the problems before going higher up the chain
Resolving the problems earlier before they get out of hand is always the best solution. It’s going to help if you look at the problem as it is now and work on ways in which you can resolve it quickly so that it avoids going any further.
Of course, there will be occasions where this isn’t possible and therefore it needs to go higher up the chain of command. However, look at each disgruntled employee and each situation individually to see what can be done before reverting straight to the extreme measures taken.
Ensure everything is done with HR involved
HR should always be involved in employee disputes, no matter how big or small they may be. They might not be a disgruntled employee yet but they may well be if you don’t handle it in the best way.
Human resources are there for the protection of the business first and foremost, but they’re also there for the employee. Therefore it’s a good idea to ensure everything discussed and actioned is done so with HR’s involvement at every stage.
Seek legal help
Legal help is something that can be useful to have when you’re in a position where help is needed. Your employee might be looking for legal help too, so if it’s something that you feel you need, you should seek that help as soon as possible.
Look at the options available
What are the routes to take when it comes to the disgruntled employee in general? Are there potential outcomes whereby things are resolved and the employee stays within the company? Perhaps that’s not possible but at the same time, the departure can leave on a positive note.
Discuss your options with anyone involved and try to resolve them or look for a path that causes the least damage or disputes possible.
Protecting your business from disgruntled employees is important so use these tips to ensure you handle it properly.