| Bad employees are a fact of life. No matter | | | | on your company policies, they may be able to |
| how hard a business owner tries to screen new | | | | return to work after seeking help. |
| hires, dealing with bad employees will always | | | | |
| be an issue. Perhaps the new employee is not | | | | Policies for dealing with bad employees in |
| happy with their work they or simply does not | | | | this area differ from business to business. |
| fit into the organization. For whatever | | | | Many small businesses are not in a position |
| reason, a bad employee is not producing the | | | | to hold a job open for 30 days while an |
| quantity or quality of work they must to | | | | employee gets help. |
| remain a part of the organization. | | | | |
| | | | When Counseling Doesn't Resolve The Problems |
| Counseling Bad Employees | | | | With Bad Employees |
| | | | |
| Once you identify a problem employee, your | | | | If counseling does not reveal a valid reason |
| first step is to counsel the bad employee. | | | | for poor performance or reveals a problem |
| Bring the person into your office for a | | | | that cannot be resolved, you must issue a |
| one-on-one discussion of their recent work | | | | documented warning and place in the |
| and the problems with that work. Ask them why | | | | employee's Human Resources folder. This |
| their work has fallen into a level that is | | | | clearly tells the employee that if their |
| unacceptable. | | | | performance does not significantly improve |
| | | | within 30 days, they will face termination. |
| Perhaps the poor work is a result of employee | | | | |
| having no training to perform certain tasks. | | | | You should review the employee's improvement |
| Each company and organization has different | | | | or lack of improvement weekly. And you must |
| processes and techniques for tasks. Untrained | | | | document whether the bad employee is making |
| employees will fail to produce acceptable | | | | any effort to improve the quality and |
| results. | | | | quantity of their work. |
| | | | |
| If this is the situation, counsel the | | | | It is not uncommon that a person has a great |
| employee and offer them training. Then review | | | | resume and verifiable references but their |
| their progress often to decide if they have | | | | skills do not fit the work you ask them to |
| improved to acceptable levels of performance. | | | | perform. In some organizations, lateral |
| | | | movement of employees can be a solution to |
| If the problem is due to personal family | | | | turn a bad employee into a productive, good |
| difficulties, you might advise the employee | | | | employee. This may not be a solution in your |
| to seek outside counseling and give them the | | | | particular organization, however. |
| opportunity to improve their work. | | | | |
| | | | If counseling and warnings fail, the business |
| The poor performance could be the results of | | | | owner or Human Resources director must fire |
| a drug or alcohol addiction. If this is the | | | | the bad employee and hire a better person for |
| case, direct them to seek help and to enter a | | | | the job. |
| rehabilitation program immediately. Depending | | | | |