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Problem employees are the bane
of any company. In the trades, where that stakes are high, problem
employees need to be dealt with quickly and efficiently before they send
your company into the tank.
Most employees fall within the following ranges:
The Dream Employee
We all have at least one of these (hopefully it’s you if you run the
business). This is the person who shows up ahead of time, is highly
skilled, gets along with everyone, stays late and always takes pride in
the work they are doing. They are the rising stars and can write their own
ticket to any position they desire.
The Decent Employee
Hard workers, show up on time and do quality work. These employees are
the bedrock of your business.
The Problem Employee
These are the folks who can bankrupt you, get you into a legal battle
or simply ruin your good reputation. Many times, they come dressed in the
clothes of the Decent Employee.
The first line of defense against problem employees is not to hire them in
the first place! Hopefully your company already has a set of guidelines
for hiring quality individuals. If it doesn’t, you need to come up with a
plan and most importantly, actually follow it. Remember, it’s much easier
to say no during an interview, than to fire someone, and possibly deal
with a wrongful termination lawsuit.
When hiring, you must first anticipate your needs. Did the bid come in,
and the job starts in three months? Now is the time to start looking for
quality folks. Having enough time to properly interview a potential
employee, check references and perform a background check can alleviate
many headaches.
Many contractors don’t want to do a thorough background check, since it
takes time and money. But, ask yourself this; how much time and money
might a sub standard employee cost your business if they cut off all their
fingers or show up drunk to the jobsite and fall off the scaffolding?
Staffing for a contracting business can be a tricky dance. When business
is strong, you need people now. When business slacks off, you don’t want
to lose your quality folks. One solution is to use your local temp agency.
Select one that takes care of all legal issues…taxes…insurance, Workmen’s
Comp, and performs background checks. This type of service is expensive,
but can be an excellent way to “test out” an individual on the job.
Lets say you’ve done your homework, and despite the good references, the
employee isn’t making it? You may have no hesitation about letting an
employee go, but it only takes one lawsuit to ruin your company.
The first thing you need to do is know the law. This varies from state
to state. It would be well worth your time to sit down with an attorney
for an hour and discuss the legal aspects of employee termination. Did you
give a written warning or verbal? Can you document unsafe, unethical or
illegal behavior?
What kind of a contract (if any) did you have with the employee in the
first place?
Most problem employees won’t get cute if they know you’ve done your
homework.
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