Four Employee Behaviors That Can Kill Your Business
BATTLECALL GUEST EXPERT: Jan King, Merrit
Group
I found it important to clarify for employees what "deal-breaker" behavior
was at my company. These are the things I insisted would not be tolerated and
would lead to immediate or ultimate termination, depending on the nature of the
infraction of these hard and fast rules. Here are the behaviors I would not
tolerate:
1. Gossip. Rumors can be incredibly disruptive to a company. A lack of information can get rumors started, and frank explanations can
usually stop them. However, some employees thrive on the admiration of others
when they seem to be "in the know." Define gossip as clearly as you can and tell
employees what you expect them to do when they hear it. First and foremost, that
you don't repeat it. Along the same lines of gossip, remind employees that all
e-mail sent or received on company computers is considered company business and
not private correspondence.
2. Violence or threatening or abusive behavior.
Termination should be immediate for any employee who engages in any form of
violent or abusive behavior. Workplace violence includes threatened or actual
abuse and can be verbal or physical. These behaviors only escalate with time and
are never excusable. Any employees involved in workplace violence should leave
the workplace immediately and be placed on a paid leave of absence for a few
days while you investigate the situation and consult with your attorney. Don't
assume this couldn't happen in your company--it's estimated by the Occupational
Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) that two million Americans are victims
of workplace violence annually.
3. Dishonesty and theft.
The term theft can include the theft of time, office supplies, and the use of
office equipment for personal projects. Set standards for what is acceptable use
of company assets. Security experts say as many as 30 percent of workers steal,
resulting in an estimated loss of $50 billion a year from U.S. companies and
contributing to as many as one-third of business bankruptcies.
As for dishonesty, I have a zero-tolerance approach. I dismissed members of
my accounting staff for what may seem to be petty reasons: one for using $5 of
petty cash as personal lunch money, another for telling me he was home sick when
he was out of state on a long weekend vacation. If key staff members are not
honest with you about small things, how can you be sure they will tell the truth
"when it counts?"
4. Substance abuse.
Substance abuse is more rampant than most employers know. The U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services estimates that from 6% to 11% of adults are
substance abusers. Substance abuse costs U.S. employers an estimated $100
billion a year. Call your attorney to make certain you follow the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements. Illegal drugs are expensive and have led
financially desperate employees to commit fraud. They have also been implicated
in violent behavior in the workplace.
Commit to setting standards in your workplace and you will find a calmer
atmosphere, less turnover, and more attention to productivity, growth, and
profitability.
Got an opinion? We want to hear from you. Post your thoughts or comments here in our Mortgage Warrior Forum. Come join the conversation and say hello...onward mortgage warrior!
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