No business owners want to deal with an employee who doesn’t pull their weight. However, it’s something most entrepreneurs will encounter at some point. With that in mind, the advice on this page should come in handy. At the end of the day, you need to understand the proper legal process if you don’t want to get into trouble. Believe it or not, all workers have rights these days. So, you can’t just fire them unless they are on a temporary contract. In fact, you need to be very careful when it comes to discipline in the workplace. One wrong move, and you could find yourself paying extortionate legal fees in court. Nobody wants that. It could damage your operation.
Create a standard disciplinary process now
Before you do anything else, you need to create a standard disciplinary process and make your employees aware of the situation. In most instances, you will have to give a verbal warning, before handing out two written warnings. If the employee doesn’t improve, you can then suspend them and stop them from working for a few days. If they continue to remain the same, you can then look at terminating their contract. Just make sure you don’t skip any of those steps, or your efforts could backfire. When all’s said and done, you need to cover your back. That is why you should always ask independent witnesses to sit in the meeting room when you give the warnings.
Talk to the employee about their issues
In some instances, a worker might slack because he or she has problems at home. So, it’s always worth taking them to one side and asking a few questions. You want to build a reputation for being a decent boss, and so you need to show a certain level of concern. Maybe you discover they would become much more productive if you change their shift patterns? Perhaps they are struggling because they are a single parent who has to take their kids to school in the mornings? Whatever the situation, it’s vital that you try to work with the individual to come to a solution. If that doesn’t work, you can begin the disciplinary procedure.
Find an expert legal team ahead of time
There are lots of experts who provide legal services to business owners in your position. Just in case you end up in court, it’s wise to make contact with them ahead of time. That way, you only need to make a short phone call, and they will swing into action. Don’t make the mistake of trying to represent yourself at a tribunal. It will take too long to prepare your case, and you won’t end up saving any money. Also, you are almost guaranteed to encounter poor results. By using a professional, you can remain 100% sure your company has the best representation possible. That should mean you get better outcomes from any court case in which you might find yourself involved.
Now you know how to deal with bad employees., we hope you won’t let them damage your business in 2017. Nobody wants to take someone’s wages away. However, you have no choice if they are not performing as you expect. So, don’t feel bad. Your business is more important than an individual who isn’t willing to earn their keep.