As one of the leading staffing agencies in Miami Lakes, we know that every manager has to deal with a multitude of petty employee complaints, from the office being too hot to not enough paper for the copier. Eventually, it can be easy to tune out these grievances, nodding and smiling at your employees, while really you’re thinking about all the work you have to accomplish.
But the problem with this approach is that complaints can alert you to major problems within your company – problems, like harassment, that could be costly and wind up in the courtroom if you don’t deal with them directly.
Considering their delicate nature, be sure to handle these kinds of complaints with care. Here are some suggestions to help you along the way:
- If an employee comes to you with a complaint of harassment, or a similarly serious complaint, document everything they say. Ask them what happened, when it happened, where it happened, and for any other important and specific details.
- While you want to treat them professionally and with respect, don’t just take their word for it either. Speak with the alleged perpetrator to get their side of the story and also speak with any witnesses. Again, make sure you document everything you are told about the incident. (Keep in mind that these documents are discoverable if an employee files a lawsuit, so just report the facts – and not your opinions.)
- Keep your investigation confidential. An accusation of harassment can polarize the workplace because your other employees will side with either the alleged victim or perpetrator. And if details leak out that damage either of their reputations, you could get slapped with a defamation suit. Therefore, it’s important to insist on confidentiality.
- In some instances of harassment, the perpetrator doesn’t understand that their behavior is offensive. If that’s the case, depending on the severity of the situation, you might consider anything from a warning along with counseling to termination.
- If instead you wind up with a “he said, she said” situation, and you’re not sure whom to believe, then it’s important to explain to both sides company policy regarding harassment, including consequences for such behavior. To cover your bases, you may also want to conduct a training seminar on harassment and mandate attendance for all employees.
- In the future, in order to mitigate your risk, it’s important to think and plan ahead regarding employee complaints. For instance, certain HR practices, like background checks, can help you weed out potentially problem employees that could harm your company and its reputation.
If that’s the case, and you’d like candidates to be more thoroughly vetted, we can help. As one of the leading staffing agencies in Miami Lakes, Future Force can help you source, screen, interview, test, and check backgrounds of potential candidates, all so you avoid the risk of hiring someone who will cause problems at work. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you.