Please help me line manage this member of staff

[Pleeby]

I’ve recently taken over a new team, I was forewarned about one member of staff. Not so much about her work but her attitude and behaviours. Since I started one member of staff has handed in their notice as they can no longer work with her and another one indicated they are looking for another post due to her.

Examples of her behaviour:

Arguing about everything with me. If I send out a “team actions” email, she will return it to me with red font reasons about why she shouldn’t have to do/can’t do something. Each point followed by a stream of !!!!!!!!!!

Constant loud huffing and sighing, banging desk drawers closed and files down on her desk

Eye rolling and sighing during meetings

I called a quick huddle and she sat at her desk not turning around. I asked her to get involved and she slammed her paperwork down, turned around and said “I’m busy”

Work rate is half what everyone else’s is. This is because she says the work is unfairly distributed. I asked everyone to give me a list of all of their responsibilities, it isn’t correct that she has more to do than other people at her level.

Gossiping and bitching about who ever is working from home that day (they are on a rota)

Refuses to sign into teams every morning when working from home. I have to call her and tell her to sign in each day.

It is ruining the office to be honest. My 1-1s are just people complaining about her. Her 1-1 she has cancelled the last 3 times.

Please give me some advice

[UhtredRagnarson]

Speak to your manager? Honestly! That should be your first port of call. Not MN! Why do you not know this?

[beingsunny]

I've had one of these,
Go to HR and work with them on a performance plan. When they fail to meet expectations issue the required warnings.

AKA manage them out

[Pleeby]

@UhtredRagnarson, I’m not going to escalate staff issues to my manager at this stage

[devildeepbluesea]

You have to start pulling her up on everything.

Email returned? Quiet word _"I'm not going to argue with you, please do what I asked". If she doesn't, you meet with her again, ask why and give her one last chance. Explain if work not done you may need to start disciplinary action.

Huffs in public - quiet word in private. Please don't behave like that again, it's not appropriate behaviour for the workplace. Explain consequences if she continues (disciplinary).

Do all your quiet words in private. But follow up on everything. Warn before going formal. But go formal if you need to.

[joystir59]

Yes, use the formal HR performance management procedures and policies. Followed by the disciplinary route. Do not bother with any more informal nice boss stuff.

[IrenetheQuaint]

If other colleagues are resigning due to her then you very much should discuss this with your manager and get a plan in place ASAP.

[devildeepbluesea]

@beingsunny

I've had one of these,
Go to HR and work with them on a performance plan. When they fail to meet expectations issue the required warnings.

AKA manage them out

Disagree about going to HR. You're their manager so you need to manage them. She will go when the going gets tough (or she trips up once again while on a final written warning). HR can coach you through the process though.

[MoiraNotRuby]

You need to know, understand and follow your employer's policy on performance management.

Sorry OP, I really feel for you. It is a hard part of the management role.

[joystir59]

You have to start pulling her up on everything.

Email returned? Quiet word _"I'm not going to argue with you, please do what I asked". If she doesn't, you meet with her again, ask why and give her one last chance. Explain if work not done you may need to start disciplinary action.

Huffs in public - quiet word in private. Please don't behave like that again, it's not appropriate behaviour for the workplace. Explain consequences if she continues (disciplinary).

Do all your quiet words in private. But follow up on everything. Warn before going formal. But go formal if you need to.
This is spot on.

[UhtredRagnarson]

[quote Pleeby]@UhtredRagnarson, I’m not going to escalate staff issues to my manager at this stage[/quote]
Why on earth not? you can’t manage her yourself!

[beginningoftheend]

[quote Pleeby]@UhtredRagnarson, I’m not going to escalate staff issues to my manager at this stage[/quote]
Well then you are being silly and putting yourself at risk of being seen as not coping.

Your first step is log the situation with your manager and HR and get a agreed plan in place.

[bonfireheart]

I agree with @beingsunny. All members of staff should have a regular 1-2-1 with you, keep a record of what is discussed. They should also have a regular performance review, usually there's a template for this, both parties agree to future goals. If these are not being worked towards then they receive "management advice" to improve. If still nothing changes, then get HR involvement.

[ferneytorro]

Agree with previous poster. You pull her up on her behaviour every single time. Explain the behaviour that’s wrong and the behaviour you want to see and then email follow up every single time. She needs consequences. Do you have appraisals ? Use those to tell her she’s not performing. In the nicest way you aren’t managing her, she’s probably never been managed so when you do it you’ll be the worst person in the world but that’s your job. Also none of this “oh it’s just my way”. Not acceptable. Fact that she’s also a poor performer helps you. So feedback for a month, no improvement then get her on a performance plan and get her out.

[flashbac]

@devildeepbluesea

Why shouldn't she go to HR? It should be her first port of call for poor conduct such as this!

OP you need to call this behaviour out each and every time. Did her previous manager let her get away with it?

[scatteredglitter]

Surely she should receneiv verbal warnings for this -
Get HR advice

I m not surprised others are leaving when they see she is getting away with that behaviour. She s effectively being allowed to not attend meetings or supervision, she s doing less work than the others.

You need to record everything
And I would check company policy on attending 1-1 and give her appropriate warnings.
I would not call her for not attending teams etc I would warn her that if she is not on time it is the same as being late for work and company policy will be followed - surely an employee who is repeatedly late should be again given a warning ?
If her work is not up to standard then she should be advised of this in an official manner with examples of her job description and again comparison with general comparisons with overall team members

If you have official complaints from others aboit her behaviour and attitude - again HR advice

It reflects poorly on you and your management skills if you don't escalate appropriately someone who is under performing and ? Bullying, not attending meetings not arriving at work, turning their back on meetings.
Regarding bullying and in civility you need to record complaints officially I would imagine so get advice on company process for this

And document everything every late event every non show to teams meeting every time she turns her back on a meeting

Regarding emails about why she doesn't do her job I wouldn't respond but maybe again escalate to HR if what she is refusing to do is within her job description

Finally you may need to introduce performance measures in a more official way in order to measure her work performance Going forward if this is not in place again keeping in line with HR advice and company policy. Performance measures and targets may also motivate her if she needs something tsngiBld to work towards

[user1471538283]

Each and every time pull her up on it. Them send her an email explaining what she did and what you said. Tell her if things do not improve in a week you will formalise things. Then do so.

She and your team need to know that you will take action about under performance and behaviour or you will lose more of your team.

[Ritasueandbobtoo9]

Keep a book. I call it the shit book. Time, date and what was said. Politely ask and note any refusal to do anything. Record eye rolls etc and complaints from other staff. Start discussing with your manager now about how you can manage this issue. You need to do this because when you start asking her to behave well she will accuse you of bullying and go off sick. Good recording is your friend.

[OverByYer]

Seek advice from HR. I’d be putting her in an action plan

[devildeepbluesea]

[quote flashbac]@devildeepbluesea

Why shouldn't she go to HR? It should be her first port of call for poor conduct such as this!

OP you need to call this behaviour out each and every time. Did her previous manager let her get away with it?[/quote]
OP is a manager. She needs to manage. It's not the domain of HR to pick up the slack with tricky employees.

That said, and as I said in my first post, HR will be able to guide and coach her through the process.

[Oblomov21]

Do you really not know what to do? Have you not been trained? Got no experience in handling difficult members of staff? Then ask for help. Get your manager and HR involved immediately to try and stop all her awful behaviour.
Stand up and manage! As you are being paid to do, as a 'manager'.

[RHTawneyonabus]

I’ve been round this a couple of times. Managing someone like this properly becomes a full time job. Unless you have the support of your manager and a competent HR person I wouldn’t risk it as it will be hard and thankless and take time away from other stuff. You will almost certainly end up with a bullying complaint against you.

You should try pulling her up with respect of 1-2-1s answering back etc but if she doesn’t improve you need to meet with your manager and HR and explain that you plan to performance manage this person and ask if they have your back.

[MissLucyEyelesbarrow]

@joystir59

Yes, use the formal HR performance management procedures and policies. Followed by the disciplinary route. Do not bother with any more informal nice boss stuff.

This. And tell your manager. If you worked for me and didn't tell me that we were losing good staff because of a rogue employee, you wouldn't be a manager for very long!

[UhtredRagnarson]

@Oblomov21

Do you really not know what to do? Have you not been trained? Got no experience in handling difficult members of staff? Then ask for help. Get your manager and HR involved immediately to try and stop all her awful behaviour.
Stand up and manage! As you are being paid to do, as a 'manager'.

This

[devildeepbluesea]

Also, I'm not sure this is a performance issue. Sounds like a won't rather than a can't. If you pull her up on her behaviour the performance may follow. Although I doubt it, you will eventually need to get her out either via disciplinary or capability.

[UhtredRagnarson]

I’ve been round this a couple of times. Managing someone like this properly becomes a full time job. Unless you have the support of your manager and a competent HR person I wouldn’t risk it as it will be hard and thankless and take time away from other stuff. You will almost certainly end up with a bullying complaint against you.

This