Effective Handling of Employee Personal Problems is Critical to Maintaining Workforce Efficiency

As a leader and manager, it is quite likely at some point during your career that you will encounter employees with personal problems. Employers must be concerned about the stress levels of their work force as it can have a damaging impact on employee productivity. Personal problems can hinder the job performance of employees who are traditionally productive causing them to under-perform. In addition, it can also have a negative impact on co-workers who become distracted or influenced by the personal issues introduced into the workforce. But with empathy and careful planning, successful managers and leaders can minimize the impact of personal problems in the workplace to ensure that your work force remains efficient and that normal productivity is restored as quickly as possible.

[wcm_restrict]It is a commonly held belief that personal problems of employees must remain out of the work place. But that would be in a perfect world. New managers often carry a naive belief that the personal issues of employees are irrelevant to their performance on the job and something that can be ignored. Managers who believe that employee problems can be kept outside of the workplace also tend to believe that employees are robots and that they can all be treated exactly the same with the pure focus on getting the job done. Ideally, all personal problems would be left behind before heading through the office door but experienced managers know that this is simply not the case. According to the U.S. Labor Department, between ten to twenty percent of employees possess personal problems that reduce productivity by as much as twenty five percent. The fact is people are not robots or machines and while we might like to believe that personal life has no influence on a person’s work, it actually does.

Get the Best from Employees by Addressing Personal Problems

It could be as simple as new parents that are sleep deprived due to the crying of their newly born infant. When problems are present, minds wander and employees don’t give their best work. This is particularly evident if an employee is suffering from emotional or physical pain which can prevent them from functioning at peak performance. As managers, our primary function is to get the best from our employees. It is also a function of managers to ensure that employees are happy and motivated so that they contribute positively on a long term basis to the organization. But in order to do that effectively, managers will sometimes have to get to know their employees as individuals in order to assist them through some of life’s obstacles that are impairing their ability to do their best at work.

When an employee is consumed by a personal problem and they are spending more time dealing with the problem than performing their job, it can often be appropriate to offer time off work. The key is to understand the nature of the problem and to ensure that the employee realizes how their personal issues are having a negative impact on their relationships and performance at work.

Here are some recommendations for assisting your employees through their personal problems:

• Listen: In addition to this being key to you understanding the nature of the problem, it can also make all the difference to the employee by lending a sympathetic ear combined with some words of encouragement.
• Recommend Resources: While it may be tempting to give personal advice and to take charge of the problem, this is seldom an effective course of action. Depending on the nature of the problem, it is always wise to direct employees to professional counselors, friends, or family. If you have experienced a similar problem, you can also share your own story but always ensure that the focus remains on the employee.
• Accommodate Short-Term Needs: You may need to be flexible in order to make temporary accommodations to help the employee through a time of need. But it is important to ensure that the employee is aware that such changes are only temporary. Work together to select a time frame that is fair to reassess the situation.
• Be Flexible: One of the easiest accommodations depending on the nature of the work place might be a leave of absence or an adjustment to working hours, scheduling, or location. Try to offer alternatives that can help to meet the needs of the employee until the problem is resolved.
• Consider Reassignments When Possible: This is a much larger accommodation but it may be necessary under certain circumstances. The key is to find a role or job that is better suited for the present state of mind of the employee. For example, if an employee is constantly travelling, you might consider assigning them to a desk job until life stabilizes.
• Define Short-Term Accommodation: It is absolutely critical that the employee is clear that any flexibility or accommodation that is extended is on a short term basis only until the problem can be resolved. However, if it seems that the accommodations are to continue on a long term basis, the employee should be made aware that it may result in a change of job title or reduction in pay. It should not be communicated as a threat but simply that the company needs the employee to perform at the same level as previously provided for the long term.
• Keep Communication Open: Be sure to check in with your employee on an on-going basis to ensure that steps are being taken to resolve the problem. Be sure to check on their well-being and to provide positive encouragement and reinforcement as the process continues.
• Refocus Employee Upon Resolution: When the employee has successfully worked through their problem, be sure to congratulate them and then assist them to get back on track in their previous role. You want to ensure they are on the right path to success and advancement.

Warning Signs an Employee is Struggling

As a manager, you should be aware of the warning signs that indicate one of your employees may be facing a personal problem. These can include tardiness, absenteeism, emotional outbursts, or outward stress and anxiety among many others. The signs observed can also offer insight into the depth and severity of the problem. One personal issue that is becoming increasingly prevalent in the workplace is substance abuse. Substance dependency often appears initially in the workplace as performance or attendance issues. Supporting an employee who is struggling with substance abuse can be a huge challenge for any employer. While substance abuse is not a new phenomenon in society, employers still face challenges when it comes to determining how best to support an employee with this issue particularly with regard to locating assistance and providing accommodation. Carefully recommending accessing the employee assistance program to receive any available benefits through group health plans is a good way to assist employees dealing with deeper problems like substance abuse, depression, or family crises. It will be up to the employee to contact the employee assistance program counselors who can help them locate the professional resources that are best suited to their problem.

Managers must view employees as individuals each with their own personal strengths and challenges. It would be naïve to think that a company could enjoy an employee’s strengths without encountering any challenges or weaknesses on occasion. In general, the personal life of your employees is none of your business. However, it is impossible to keep work and personal lives completely independent of one another. Therefore, you will need to be able to effectively assist employees through personal problems in order to ensure that team productivity does not decrease and that human resources remain focused in order to achieve business objectives. Being tuned in and caring about your employees will always make you a more effective manager and help to increase productivity.[/wcm_restrict][wcm_nonmember]

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About the Author

Julie Bowen is a freelance writer and full-time mom. After graduating college, she put a lot of effort into her career as a businesswoman with several successful enterprises, but when motherhood came along, she decided it was time to pull back and take up her other passion, writing. Now she writes about business and finance and finds her work-life balance far more enjoyable. When not working and caring for her children, she likes to go for long walks with her dogs, though she is considering using Rollerblades so they can pull her.