Employee not up to standards, what do i do?

Question

this employee has been calling in sick. 5 times in the past two weeks, when she is at work she is crying etc. after talking with her she said hubby lost 3rd job because of drinking problem and she has been so distraut over what is going on that she can't focus...she even didn't have the end of month numbers ready for me to take to the owner (she is the accountant under me)
What do I do with her she's only been working here 9 months and is part of a small accounting staff of 3 others(total of 4) under me.
As a manager what can I do?

Answer 1

First step, consult your companies’ policy on discipline and dismissal. You can get into a world of trouble if you do not do things by the book and end up in court as a result.

With that said, I feel you need to establish some expectations. Personal issues or challenges should not impact the quality or consistency of work. It sounds like there are some challenges present, and maybe some time to deal with them might be appropriate if she is the best person for the job.

In the long run, you cannot use her personal "challenges" in weighing in a decision for disciplinary or dismissal actions. Base your conversation on support and challenge. Support of you recognize the rough spot she is in. Challenge in that in order to continue in her job, she will:
1. Have to be present to do her job.
2. Focus on her job duties if she wants to continue to be employed.

I would explain that while she is out, others on the team have to chip in and make it work. Not getting the end of month numbers in is a key part of her job, and that negatively impacted the business.

There is a fine line to walk. Be sure to consult your legal policies, and or HR representatives if you have them. The best thing you can do is focus on the job performance, evaluate that, visit with her on job performance expectations, and then hold her accountable for her behaviors as they relate to the expectations. Providing a deadline for the behaviors to be changed will help you:
1. Ensure she knows her job is in jeopardy and know what is expected of her.
2. Cover you in a court of law.

If you live in a "at will" employment state, you can let her go without cause, just as he can quit "at will". Know your laws, and do your due diligence of making her aware of the issue, and then it's her choice to make the necessary changes or not.

I hope this helps!

Answer 2

What you should do and what you can do are probably two different things. Depending on how your workplace is set to handle these situations, you should let the employee know her work is suffering OR file an employee action form with human resources.

Myself, working as a relief auditor (really more a utility relief person because I can work any shift, but mainly night audits) know how often I have been called in when people just don't show up.

I can commiserate here, because in my job as relief night auditor at a group of local hotels, I come upon and have to correct a lot of little errors daily. After making the mistake of trying to help one employee do the work correctly by talking to her, was chastised by manager, and told, pretty much, don't correct employees, just let me know about problems.

After doing this for a few weeks, I think she got so overwhelmed at how many mistakes I was correcting, I was told to drop the witch hunt and just concentrate on my own work.

We unfortunately are in the position of having these employees who make so many mistakes training the new hires, that the bad habits just get passed on and expanded on. There are no set training standards, and when I put together a guide I felt could help if was given to all employees, was told the owner was happy with the way things were and to drop it.

I hope you can work out your situation, it sure feels hopeless in mine.

Answer 3

Did she display competency at the beginning of the work period? If so, she might be an employee worth retaining, and you might want to invest in counselling.

If she's always been flaky, write a letter outlining the problems she has caused the company. Tell her that she will receive one more written warning, and then she will be fired. Give her the option of resigning if she feels that she is unable to perform the duties required. Have her sign a copy of the letter and keep it in your records.

Next time you hire someone, try hiring a fresh young grad who just completed their accounting program. They won't be burdened with family problems and will have a real desire to prove themselves in the workplace.

Answer 4

It's kind of sad because people do lose their jobs because of too many personal problems or missing too much work but this woman is going through hell. Maybe you can find a way to get her to some counseling or something? Does the employer offer anything like that? I mean, you can surely sympathize with her. I had cancer and lost a job because of missed work and it destroyed us. I destroyed us is how it FELT. So you can only imagine. I know you are in a bad situation yourself too though. She can go to evening counseling - just to help her get through this rough period. Good luck. Try to be nice.

Answer 5

Refer her to some counseling, she seems to have emotional problems. If she doesnt do it, or does and doesnt change, then fire her. You have to give a person a reasonable warning and an interval to try and change if you want to fire them without the threat of them sueing you for it. BTW I'd start looking for a new canidate, go to a local college and ask the accounting dept to post the job, you can pay them less, and they'll take just about anything offered.

Answer 6

fire her. she's already pushed her limits there and if you keep her and hold her hand, she'll do this constantly. sucks, but you can't have your employee tell YOU what to do. Either you fire her or your boss will tell you to fire her. her actions will affect others at work and how you treat this situation will make a lasting impression on the rest of the employees. get rid of her. crying at work unacceptable. Plus, she's an accountant. she's dealing with the books at that place, not taking lunch orders.

Answer 7

as a manager you have a responsibility....talk with her...let her know you understand that she has personal problems, but first and foremost you have to make sure that business is run smoothly. it sounds like she can't afford to lose this job since hubby is having those probs, so she might want to consider leaving the personal problems outside the door when she comes to work or they will both be in the same boat.

Answer 8

Document any communication. Keep any of her personal out of it and base all findings on actual performance and fact. Give her written warnings and after this go to HR. IF no HR, this is your superior's problem. Sounds like you could use some Mgmt. training. Good luck,

Answer 9

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Answer 10

Give her some time off. Its obvious she needs it. Maybe refer her to some one who can help her and her husband with his problem. I don't feel like firing her is the best answer right now. She may not be about to handle all that at one time and may even become suicidal. Talking to her was the best thing you did right now.