What to Do if an Employee has Personal Problems

What You Should Do if an Employee has Personal Problems

Only ten percent of people are natural leaders. That’s why managing your employees without the skills and knowledge isn’t easy. You need to make sure you know what you’re doing when you have employees having personal problems.

You need to follow our advice on how to deal with your employees when they’re going through something in their personal lives. Check out everything you need to know below!

1. Make Yourself Available

Sometimes you just need to make yourself available.

If your employee is suffering from a personal problem, they may need someone to talk with or permission to take time off work.

If you’re busy with other things, it’s tempting to say “not now” when they ask to speak with you.

But, when you understand that they need your support, you’ll make an effort to show that you’re happy to chat anytime.

Having a policy that your “door is always open” helps your employees with personal problems appreciate your understanding.

2. Keep it Professional

Your employee is going through a difficult time. It’s understandable that you’ll want to show compassion.

But, it’s important that you keep it professional at the same time. You can’t really become anyone’s confidante.

If your employee needs to talk with someone about their personal problems, it’s usually best that you’re not the person.

Try to avoid asking any personal questions about their problems. It’s never a good look for an employer to pry in someone else’s business.

Even if you have a great working relationship with your employees. It’s crucial that you remember you’re not friends.

3. Listen When Your Employee Speaks

As the boss, you’re probably familiar with the role of speaking to your employees. Having to listen to what other people have to say isn’t always so easy.

That’s why it’s important to be patient and listen carefully to your employees. Before you say anything, listen to what your workers have to say.

It may be that they simply want to complain about something going on at home or express a worry that has been troubling them.

Either way, you shouldn’t jump to any conclusions. Showing care when making any suggestions about how they should proceed is best.

4. Avoid Promising What You Can’t Deliver

You may be moved to help your employees. This could cause you to promise something that you don’t have the power to deliver.

You may be able to say they can go home sick today. But, can you really say if you can offer them several weeks away from work without getting permission from your boss.

You don’t want to make any decisions that aren’t for you to make. Focus on how you can improve your employee’s circumstances.

5. Keep Track of Developments

You shouldn’t simply imagine that everything has turned out well if you never hear anything again. You need to follow up with your employee’s concerns.

This may simply be sending them an email asking how they’re doing or stopping by when you pass their desk on your way to your office.

By checking in with your troubled employee, you can show that you’re taking their personal problem seriously.

Reminding them that you’re happy to talk more if they need to speak with you about their personal problem again.

6. Handle Productivity Challenges

Nearly half of employees find that when they experience personal problems their work productivity starts to suffer. You don’t want to let down your customers or other members of your team.

That’s why it’s important to make sure your employee’s personal problems don’t undermine your company’s productivity. There are many potential solutions to this!

You could hand over your employee’s tasks to other people. This is especially suitable for any temporary measures.

If your employee needs to take even longer time off work, you may need to hire a temporary or permanent worker to take on their responsibilities.

Do you want to know more about managing an employee with personal problems? You can get more info.

7. Always Stay Consistent

Just because one of your employees is struggling at home, you shouldn’t treat them any differently. This will undermine your authority with the rest of your workforce.

At the same time, your team will spot if you don’t show your employees the respect and fairness they deserve when they have a personal problem.

Don’t hide anything from your team. Keeping everything open and honest about how you deal with personal problems is important to keep everyone happy.

It’s dangerous to set a precedent that you won’t be able to keep in the future. You never know when your next employee will be in a similar situation.

8. Display Empathy and Compassion

Your employee needs you to be compassionate when they have a personal problem. You can relate with your workers on a human level even if you’re a boss.

Without blurring the lines of professionalism, you can show that you have empathy for whatever they’re going through at the moment.

This may also include watching out for signs of stress or anxiety. You may need to check up with your employee to make sure everything is ok at home.

Personal Problems in the Workplace

Everyone wants to keep work and life separate. However, sometimes the stresses and challenges in your life take control.

When this happens, you need your employer to be understanding and available about your personal problems. However, unfortunately, this isn’t always the case.

You can make sure you follow our tips to help your employees when they have a personal problem that is affecting their work.

Do you want to know more? Check out our blog to discover everything you need to know about being an entrepreneur in business.

Further Reading