HR tip: Distressed employee

HRD & Payroll Solutions continues to bring HR Zone members a range of HR and payroll tips in 2007. A market leader in the provision of HR and Payroll training and nationally recognised professional qualifications, HRD & Payroll Solutions are highly experienced in teaching about common HR and payroll problems. A wide selection of tips, tricks and guidance can be seen below. HR Zone highly recommends that any tips are taken as a starting point for guidance only.

Question: "We have a female employee who often comes to work in tears because of some domestic problem. This greatly affects her ability to do her job, so how do we handle her?"

HR Tip:
With great care. First, you have a duty for the welfare of your employees, and second, you need to get her back to full productivity. Either talk to her yourself or get a more appropriate colleague to do so. This must be someone who is able to relate well with your employee and be a good listener. Allow plenty of time for the meeting. Ask the woman what is the problem and listen carefully to what she has to say.

Do not rush to give advice, however tempting this may be. Try to understand how the woman is feeling. Then help her to identify ways towards dealing with the matter. At some point you may well have to point out to her that her distress is affecting her work, but introduce this gently.

If you feel that you do not have either the skill or the time to help the woman, I suggest that you refer her to an appropriate counsellor and perhaps pay for the first couple of sessions. But spend some time with her yourself before doing this to indicate that you care for her.

Previous HR and Payroll tips:

November 2007
Changing terms and conditions of employment
Affair at work
References for redundant employees
Recording disciplinary proceedings
Phoning in sick

October 2007
Modest pay increase
Enforcing rest breaks and holidays
Disabled employee and sickness benefit
Age discrimination

September 2007
Notifying the JobCentre of redundancies
Transfer of undertakings
Discovering past misdemeanours
Restrictive covenants

August 2007
Helping redundant employees
Giving notice
Redundancy consultation
Offers subject to references
Compromise agreement

July 2007
Garden leave
Drunk employee
Resignation in face of discipline
Personality problem

June 2007
Searching employees
Companion in disciplinary hearings
Dependents' leave
The right to privacy

May 2007
Confidential information
Sex discrimination
Fixed term contracts
Return from maternity leave

April 2007
Sex discrimination
Deductions from wages
Custom and practice
Disclosing employees' birthdays

March 2007
Making notes in disciplinary proceedings
Discipline and the police
Analysing poor performance
Resignation in a temper
Implied terms of contract

February 2007
Issuing contracts of employment
Unfair and wrongful dismissal
Bullying boss
Persistent absentees

January 2007
Confidential witness statements
Ending a fixed term contract

2006 tips

2005 tips

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