Managing Workplace Negativity
When you're running a business, dealing with employee negativity and other difficult situations comes with the territory. With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, many employees continue to have concerns about exposure at work, caring for family members while juggling work responsibilities, and uncertainty about job security. While respecting personality differences and understanding the extraordinary circumstances that employees have faced over this past year are important, negativity can spread, undermine company objectives, and/or reflect an underlying problem. Below are some guidelines for preventing and responding to negativity.
Before a problem arises:
Here are some ways employers can help reduce the likelihood of negativity in the workplace:
- Lead by example. While leaders should be honest with employees about challenges the company is facing, they should stress that you're going to confront them together. Focus on successes your company has had during the pandemic (while also acknowledging the challenges) and communicate stories about projects or client interactions that went well. Highlight the lessons learned and how you're going to leverage that knowledge in the future. Also, communicate to each employee that their work is important.
- Clearly communicate expectations. Clearly communicate workplace rules and procedures so that employees know exactly what's expected of them and what they can expect from the company. It's a best practice to maintain an employee handbook for this purpose. In addition, confirm expectations when setting performance goals and provide employees with feedback on a regular basis. Avoid overwhelming employees with too much work or disengaging them with too little work or menial tasks. Hold supervisors accountable for providing employees with the support they need.
- Foster inclusivity. Make sure that your employment practices and decisions are free of bias, employees are paid fairly, you encourage employees to share ideas and feedback, and you take all complaints seriously. Train supervisors on all workplace policies and how to administer and enforce them consistently. During staff meetings, tactfully intervene when an employee takes over the discussion, brings up an unrelated topic, dismisses or is otherwise rude to coworkers, or tries to take credit for someone else's idea.
- Recognize employees. Recognition shows employees that their work is appreciated. For instance, recognition can come in the form of an announcement in company communications, or a note from a supervisor or head of the company. For rewards, consider various monetary and nonmonetary rewards. For example, even if merit-based pay raises or bonuses aren't possible, you could offer additional paid time off, gift cards, and other small monetary rewards.
- Be creative with flexible work arrangements. While not every job can be done remotely, there are other flexible work arrangements that employers can consider that can help employees balance work and personal responsibilities, such as staggered shifts, compressed workweeks, and flextime (early/later arrival or departure).
- Give employees autonomy. To the extent possible, give employees the autonomy to make decisions about their work and encourage employees to share their knowledge and skills. Ask employees for ideas for tackling projects and challenges and give them the tools and resources they need to do their jobs effectively.
- Provide career development opportunities. Even if there aren't a lot of opportunities to move upward, you can still help employees develop skills and knowledge that will serve them in the future. Engage employees on a regular basis to determine their training needs and career development interests. Consider internal and external training opportunities, mentoring, job shadowing, special assignments, cross-training, and professional development classes.
- Empathize with employees. Acknowledge that employees may be experiencing more stress during the pandemic and encourage them to discuss it with their coworkers and supervisors to identify areas that cause stress. Work together to identify solutions and highlight any company resources they can use to help. Consider giving employees more breaks from work to stretch, exercise, or check in with their coworkers, family, and friends.
- Encourage time off. To encourage employees to use their accrued time off, it may be helpful to remind them that you support the use of vacation time and let them know that leaders will be taking vacation as well. You generally still have the right to manage when and how much vacation employees take at any particular time. So, clearly communicate that vacations will be granted based on scheduling needs.
- Prepare employees for change. Give employees plenty of advance notice of upcoming changes and take the time to explain the reasons for each change and how a new procedure may positively impact the employee's work environment.
When a problem arises:
Here are some ways employers can diplomatically and effectively address negativity from employees:
- Seek to understand the issue. Make sure you have a full understanding of the situation and have made an accurate and impartial assessment of the facts. Additionally, make sure you are consistent in addressing negativity and aren't reacting based on any biases.
- Don't make assumptions. If you notice changes to an employee's attitude, don't assume it is related to COVID-19. The employee's negativity could also mean there's something else going on. In fact, the employee may reveal information that can trigger certain obligations for the employer. For example, if the employee discloses that the reason for their change in behavior is because they're a victim of sexual harassment, the employer should launch a prompt investigation into the allegations. Or, if the employee reveals they have a disability, the employer may be required to provide a reasonable accommodation to the employee. In such cases, consider consulting legal counsel to determine your rights and obligations.
- Address the issue. If you find negativity is an issue, address the situation promptly and privately. Be respectful and empathetic but be clear with the employee about where they're falling short (including examples of the negativity), how it can impact the company and co-workers, and your expectations for improvement. Explain that you're trying to help the employee improve and give them an opportunity to respond.
- Document the discussion. Close the meeting by confirming that the employee has fully understood what was discussed and have them acknowledge the discussion in writing. Retain a copy in the employee's personnel file.
- Follow-up. Schedule a follow-up meeting with the employee to see how they're doing. If their behavior hasn't improved, further action may be necessary.
Conclusion:
Regardless of the status of the pandemic, negativity can become a problem. Make sure you're taking steps to prevent and respond to negative attitudes and behaviors.
