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Creating a positive work environment when employees are having problems at home
According to a study of 24,000 employees, approximately 47 percent say that their work performance is occasionally affected by problems from their personal lives. Most larger companies have employee assistance programs (EAPs) in place to help workers out during difficult times, but that’s not always the case for smaller startups. But whether your company has fewer than 10 employees or more than 10,000, it’s crucial to help keep your workers focused. That may mean simply being understanding as your workers make their way through a hard event or it might require you to get directly involved.
Determine just how deeply you should get involved—if at all.
Before you do anything, you as a leader need to step back and study the situation. While you certainly want to be compassionate, you need to determine exactly what your relationship is with the employee in question. How long has the employee been with the company? How well do you know the employee? This can inform your decision on just how deeply to get involved. In some circumstances, it may be best for you to leave the employee alone.
Refer your employees to the proper channels and resources
Depending on the situation, it’s often inappropriate for you to take a direct hand in your employee’s personal life, even just giving advice. Instead, direct them to the people with whom they should be speaking. You might suggest a professional counselor they could visit if the need arises. Keep in mind that if the home situation has escalated to the point where divorce is on the table, they may have no clue where to look for guidance, and children can make the situation even more complicated. Not many people keep a list on hand of qualified divorce lawyers in Utah, or Kentucky, or wherever they may live. In order to find counsel, they will likely need help from their peers, and you can certainly point them in the right direction.
Make temporary concessions to help, if possible.
If your employee is experiencing a crisis, you should be as flexible as you can and create temporary plans to help them where possible. You want to be understanding and help wherever you can. That said, make sure to communicate that these accommodations are temporary. There is a limit to how long you can disrupt your team’s work process. Work out a specific date in the future when things will revert to business as usual. If you and the employee are uncertain on when that date might be, then set a date when you will meet again to reassess.
Keep your other employees’ needs in mind.
Remember that, while one of your employees may be going through a particularly difficult time, they’re not the only worker for whom you hold responsibility. While you can encourage your team to be understanding of the situation, make sure you’re not sacrificing the good of the entire team for a single individual. If the situation goes on for some time, it’s not fair to ask your team to continue making concessions with no ending in sight.
Remember, while you can offer aid, it’s ultimately up to your employee to find a solution to his or her problem. If your other workers are seeing negative effects from their teammate’s trouble, it may be time to employ more drastic measures, such as replacing the employee. Don’t make any rash decisions, but realize that the occasion may arise where you have to let someone go.
Check in from time to time.
Don’t be afraid to check in with your employee to see how things are going. There may be nothing you can do, but even the gesture of expressing concern can lift your employee up. Remind them that even if things are hard at home, that doesn’t mean they have to face everything alone. Stop by their desk just to ask how things are going. Sometimes, when an individual experiences a trial, their peers step forward in support at the onset, then gradually drift away as time goes on. By checking in occasionally, you let the employee know that you are still willing to help where possible, and that you haven’t forgotten about them.