New Silkin Management Group clients often come to us experiencing employee problems. Prior to coming on the Silkin Management Group program they often have incorrectly hired and compounded that with not knowing how to properly train and correct new employees. As a result they experience non-productive or mistake prone staff members, uncertainty on how to measure employee’s productivity and, in the worst cases, end up with potential legal problems with the “bad egg” they hired.
Silkin Management Group consultants spend a good amount of time training and educating new clients on the proper techniques for finding the best employee out of an applicant pool, and how to train and correct the new employee using proper office policies and job descriptions using Silkin Management Group’s 400 page Office Policy and Job Description Manual.
At times, though, one can find that they are beyond the point of trying to correct a staff member and find themselves in a potential legal situation with the problematic employee. We recommend contacting a good employment attorney when the following circumstances exist.
• Disciplinary Issues. This could include disciplinary investigations and decisions based upon reports of misconduct such as dishonesty or some form of destruction to office equipment, or misconduct with other staff. Without a proper, fair investigation one can reach an unfair conclusion and implement a wrong action (i.e. dismissal) that could open one up to litigation.
• An employee threatening some form of legal action such as administrative or court proceedings. If you get word of anything along these lines, immediately contact a good attorney. Don’t attempt to respond to any inquiries without consulting an attorney. Inquiries can come from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) or your state’s version of a bureau of labor.
• Anything regarding employee contracts. Of course, use a good attorney to draw up your basic employee contract so that it conforms to the laws of your area. Additionally, if any employee has an issue with their contract or threatens to have their attorney fight the contract, immediately contact your attorney. Don’t engage in any conversation with the employee about it until you have reviewed the situation with your attorney.
Good employee contracts and effective office policies and job descriptions implemented throughout the office are the best preventive medicine for employee problems. But, as we recommend to Silkin Management Group clients, if you run into any of the issues mentioned above, call your employment attorney before doing anything.
Bill Hickey
Silkin Management Group Consultant
For more information about our Job Description and Office Policy Manual, visit Silkin Management Group’s website at www.silkinmanagementgroup.com
