How to handle chronic complainers at work
When an employee’s behavior is centered on chronic complaining, here are a few steps you can take.
Do you have a worker whose attitude, social interaction and feedback is nothing but a constant flow of complaints and complaining? Is your staff now starting to complain about the complainer? Successful managers know that employee complaints should always be listened to—because a genuine HR liability issue may lie within those complaints! However, if the employee’s negative attitude and constant complaining start to permeate the worksite, it can negatively impact team productivity. When an employee’s workplace behavior is centered on chronic complaining, here are a few steps you can take to address the problem:
1. Start by setting up an official “grievance” meeting: You don’t have to accept a negative attitude, but you do have to respect it and listen to it. Unhappy employees believe their concerns haven’t been heard, so it’s essential to allow them to express their concerns in an individual, one-on-one session. Ask them to make a list of their grievances and complaints. Then have the employee rank them according to how each complaint interferes with their ability to perform their job.
2. Ask the employee to suggest solutions: Review the list of complaints and ask the employee, “what do you think should be done about it?” Let the employee tell you a possible solution for each issue listed. If some can be amended according to their suggestions, make out an action plan and then arrange a future meeting to review and acknowledge the resolution.
3. Set a complaint boundary: After making an honest attempt to address their concerns, communicate to the employee that their continued negative attitude compromises the team’s productivity and will not be tolerated. Explain to the employee that the situation will not be changing. Ask the employee if they can maintain their position—without further complaints— after all efforts have been made to better the situation.
4. Set a behavior standard to continue employment: A company should never terminate or retaliate against an employee for lodging a complaint! Instead, communicate your expectations for future behavior and clarify company procedures for registering future complaints. Ensure your complaint procedure includes more than one way for an employee to report a complaint and provide a brief overview of how your company will address the complaint. If the employee cannot change their behavior and refuses to function in their job if the situation does not change, you may consider utilizing a Progressive Discipline policy. If the negative behavior continues, you may have to consider terminating the employee to maintain staff morale and team productivity.
As an employer, you need to listen to your employees, help them be productive, and motivate them to grow or change for the better. By incorporating these best practices, it is hopeful that termination of their employment will not be necessary. Employers must always remain open to the possibility that a chronic complainer can improve their attitude and become one of your best workers!
Victoria Simpson is the Public Relations Manager for Sequoia Personnel Services and its parent company — Cardinal Services, Inc. She enjoys walks on the beach, finding new styles of masks, appreciating her 5 p.m. glass of wine, and still really cherishes her time reading all those COVID-related laborlaw alerts issued by Sacramento! She can be reached at 541-315-6163 or at victoria@cardinalservices.com.