6 Steps to Deal With Employees Who Complain About Other Employees

How to Deal With Employees Who Complain About Other Employees

1. Make sure employees can effectively voice their concerns

When employees complain, do they talk about their frustrations with random coworkers? If so, then that’s not good. Outbursts disrupt work processes and hinder everyone’s productivity.

People can act irrationally during heated moments. Some people have a bad habit of speaking to anyone available, regardless of whether that person has the power to resolve the issue at hand.

Therefore, you need to make sure that employees have legitimate ways to voice their concerns. For example, can they file a complaint by filling out an online form? Can they easily set up a meeting with you to discuss the problem?

You can then try your best to make things right after reviewing the complaint.

2. Uncover the truth

You need to figure out whether the complaint has any merit. Are the allegations true?

Ask for proof.

Does the accuser have any text messages or emails that they can show you? If not, then consider looking at security camera footage if the situation is that serious.

You can also try to find out what is happening by asking neutral third parties, such as other employees in the same room. They might be witnesses.

Approach the vetting process with an open mind. Acknowledge any preconceived notions that you may have so that you can remain as objective as possible.

If the complaints are valid, then you should thank the employee for letting you know about issues within the company. You now have an opportunity to resolve bottlenecks and make the company more efficient.

3. Advocate for honest discussion

Encourage the employee to speak directly to the other employee if they haven’t done so already. A friendly remark might just be enough to get someone to stop engaging in disruptive behavior.

Some people need to work on their communication skills. They do not speak up when something is bothering them. Instead, they sit there quietly and let the suffering continue. Then, they complain to uninvolved third parties. It doesn’t make sense.

Speak up right away when there is an issue. Just remember to be courteous and professional.

Maybe the other person does not know that they are being disruptive. It’s common to lose awareness of your surroundings when you are focused on work.

4. Try separating the employees

Separating the employees might work if the company is big enough. One employee can be relocated to a different department or floor. The number of complaints should go down if the employees do not have to see or communicate with each other to complete assignments.

But how do you decide which employee to relocate?

First, meet with the human resources department and, if applicable, in-house counsel. This is a tricky situation, and you want to make sure all managerial decisions comply with corporate policies and industry regulations.

With that said, if you have conclusive evidence that one employee is in the wrong, then move that employee. You have a good reason to. You’re actually doing this employee a favor since you have a valid reason to terminate their employment. But you are giving them another chance. Relocate the employee to a different place within the company to prevent further conflicts.

However, what if the situation is not as simple? What if you don’t know whether the complaints are true? In this case, you need to be fair to all parties involved.

Choose someone at random for the relocation process. Through your actions, you can show everyone that you are not taking sides. Instead, you are simply trying to resolve the dilemma fairly so that the company can move forward.

5. Monitor the situation

The conflict resolution process is not over yet.

At this point, you should have already implemented a solution. Now, you need to observe what happens next to make sure you have implemented the right solution. Let’s discuss your monitoring options.

For one thing, you can simply keep a closer eye on your employees.

As a manager, you might have your own office. However, for the next few days or weeks, consider moving to an available workstation that is closer to everyone else.

Get a front-row seat to everything. Get closer to the action so that you can witness what goes on in everyone’s day.

You can also check in on your employees more frequently. Ask how they are doing. Do they need any help?

If the employees are feeling better, then that’s great. If there are still obstacles, however, then you can reassess the situation and implement another solution.

6. Look for systemic issues

Dealing with the occasional complaint is fine. However, if you find yourself having to deal with multiple complaints all the time, then you need to ask yourself whether the company has any structural issues.

Are you hiring the right people?

How is the company culture? Has it been deteriorating for some reason?

If there are systemic issues, then you might need to rebuild the company from the ground up. This means that you might need to let some people go. You might also need to change your management style and alter compensation packages.

Make the necessary changes to save the business so that you can be one step closer to success.