Managing difficult colleagues! Help!

[Absolutelynakered]

I hope this makes sense as I'm absoloutly at my wits end with this behaviour. Sorry, it's long.

I'm 30, been in the construction industry since I was 16. I was offered manager role this year and I was so happy after so long of working my way through the ranks.

Now, I have a team of 3 people in office and 27 out on the field.

The two females I have are late 30s and 50s. When I started, they had alot of complaints and I tried my best to listen and resolve, which I did. But they aint happy with anything. They comment on how I'm at this position when I'm only young. They moan about the system, if not that it's the phones or clients, emails or the fiel technicians. It's constant everyday! I'm having to train them correctly how to plan and time management, but they will not listen at all. If I raise an issue with them, they will go on a massive rant, cry or give me the silent treatment. It's bizarre! I've never know fully grown women to act this way. I've took the time to listen at one to one and their complaints are not to do with the job. It's because it's not how they want it. They want to do things in their own way. I've explained we have processes to follow which make sure work is done in a timely manner, but they don't like it. They complained their computers where slow, so I got them new ones and new screens, still complaining. I've got them new chairs, new phones, changed processes to make things quicker and easier, moved workloads around so its equal, again not satisfied. They bitch and call other staff to people out on the field over the phone. I've had field technicians complaining about them. It's mentally draining. Everyday I feel like I'm dealing with 12 year olds. Never mind the fact they've had so many sick days its unreal. I can't do this with then anymore.

I've spoken to my boss and he's happy to let both of them go as I have genuinly tried everything I can to make things better but I realised, they will never be satisfied.

Would it be so bad if I let them go? I hate putting people out of a job but this is genuinley a nightmare. It will put more pressure on the team but I'm willing to take on the extra load at home till we get new staff.

Has anyone ever had this issue? How did you deal with it?

To add, ones been here for 11 months and the other 7. They replaced 2 people who retired after being at the company over 10 years. They both shadowed a month with previous people before they retired.

Surely you just go through the processes that eventually lead to dismissal if they don’t lift their game. It’s on them, not you.

Once upon a time I worked in an arena where there were women who were bullies and moaned about everything all day long.

Finally after something happened which was a catalyst, the partner in charge gathered all his staff together & read the riot act.

These women were shocked when his final words were, in a very assertive voice

“If you are not happy, you must leave.”

After that the nonsense mainly stopped but it did eventually weed out the perpetrators.

I'm going to start this on Monday. I've got a meeting planned with each one alongside my boss. It's the reaction from it that is worrying me.

I don't want to dismiss unfairly so I'm checking that this is enough to just dismiss. I've given one verbal warning per person regarding attitudes and behaviour and it worked for around a week. This involved numerous chats in between.

Sad thing is, if their attitudes changed, I think we'd be a good team.

Are they on performance improvement plans with clear escalation if their performance doesn't improve, or do they have an attendance plan to address the sick leave ?

It sounds like they need to go, but you need to follow proper process.

Sorry cross post.
Yes follow proper procedures - it's possible if one or both of them realise you're serious they may buckle up their ideas - but not likely.

You can dismiss for no reason at all with less than 24 months contract (provided contract/staff handbook don’t say otherwise).

Yes both had performance reviews 2 months ago. We addressed their attitudes and tried to be sensitive to anything happening external to work, which wasn't anything. One has a child who is always poorly so would be off quite alot. I'm a single parent myself so I understand but surely a child with no underlying health issues, can be poorly that much. They start at 8am and they only let me know their not coming in at 07:45.

They said they was happy with pay but they don't like answering phones or dealing with emails. I told them that this is part of their job and was aware of this during interviews. I take on most of the emails but I'm having to constantly correct planning. I can't let them work independently yet as mistakes are being made. They don't like how things are done, but we have to follow certain processes to ensure every aspect of our roles are covered. Again, if I raise this with them, they go on the attack and cry that I'm being unfair or picking at them.

This is why I'm asking if this is enough for me to dismiss. I've never had to dismiss anyone before. I want to do this correctly and professionally. I genuinely believe I've tried all I can.

Let them go. You don’t need a reason if they r only been there months. And if they’re like that when they’re new, they’ll only get worse as time goes on. The sick days or the attitude alone would be reason enough, never mind both.

Sorry I didn't see they'd been there less than a year.

Surely if their jobs are office based then it mostly consists of answering the phone and emails ?

It sounds like they're egging each other on. It might be if you got rid of the worst one, the other would improve with a more positive colleague.

You are really lucky. They haven't been there long. Get rid.
Choose the worst one and get rid first. The other one may improve after that.

Technically since the rule change in like 2013 if you work at a place less than 2 years you can be let go for no reason.

Oh gosh OP sounds shit! .... I agree get rid, yes its awful dimissing someone, but this is totally in their control and it didnt have to be this way - it sounds like youve done all that you can

I think when they are both moaning about certain aspects of the job, they feel content that they shouldn't have to do it, it's your problem. In reality, they aren't doing the job properly and are jointly trying to change the job description to remove the tasks they don't enjoy. I agree you should get rid of the worse one, as they aren't performing their role competently. Maybe the other will pull their socks up.

Get rid of the one that has been there for less than two years immediately. Make it clear to the other one that they are on a performance improvement plan and go through the process needed to manage them out or improve. If that one sees that the other one is going for that exact reason, it will help.

Whenever you induct someone new in future make it clear that you require people to be positive and set that as an expectation. You don't do negative and your team doesn't do negative. You and your team do, do solutions!

I followed due process to get rid of a really bad apple (less than 2 years service) and the whole process was horrendous because she went off sick which paused the whole thing and she was still on full pay.
In hindsight, I would definitely have fired on the spot. I say get rid immediately OP. Don't give them chance to go on long term sick.

Crikey, I thought you were going to say they'd been there decades and were practically part of the furniture.

Definitely get rid.

Definitely get rid. The way they were carrying on made it sound like they were there forever and knew everything. Or you could get rid of who you think is the "leader" and the other one would probably get their act together once they realise that this shit is not going to be tolerated.

They are both as bad as one another. This is why I want to let them both go. When one has been off, the other one gives me silent treatment and won't acknowledge anything I say. I've pulled her in a few times now and I'm not willing to do it anymore. It's like I'm constantly trying to please two bratty teenagers.

I need to be very careful about it though as one of them accuses us as being unfair due to her age. I couldn't care less about age. I'd hire 70 year old if knew they'd do the job good.

Honestly can't believe I'm having to deal with a situation like this.

They are both planners. They have a small team each of 3, which is very easy to manage. They plan their work for a 10 day period. They have the teams that only specialise in one line of work, so are very easy to plan for. They should take around half a day to plan the 10 days, it's currently taking them 3 days. I manage the team of 21 which specialise in multiple things, I oversee everyone else alongside that.

This is what I think they will do. I think they've been off sick around 35% percent of the time they've been here. That's why I'm not giving anymore warnings or chats. I'm just done with dealing with it.

ooof this sounds similar to my last role! One receptionist and one technician just ALWAYS crying / whining / burning bridges about something. All rumours came from the receptionist as she was able to overhear personal meetings.

One day, she came back off holiday and I asked her if she was feeling better (before her holiday she had been off sick with a toothache)

Her response, in front of the MD was “well I was, but wish I never came back to this stupid job in this shit office with nosey colleagues LIKE YOU” - she really barked at me. I was trying to be friendly, to take the edge off the toxic atmosphere.

She had a younger colleague who she would talk to constantly- no idea how they ever get work done. But the younger one was just as toxic & very two faced.

she still works there, but she has been the reason for a series of women leaving. Architects (including me), admin staff, planners and technicians too.

Honestly, trust me. In the meeting on Monday, just say 'this isn't working out. We are letting you go with immediate effect'. You don't even have to give a reason. There's no recourse for them to come at you for unfair dismissal as they are less than 2 years service. Then get someone to escort them to their desk to gather their personal belongings and escort them from the building. Ideally I would time it so 1 of them is somewhere else (lunch) while you sack the other then get the other in after they've gone.

I think there’s been great advice, so nothing to add here. I’m following though, admiring your style and wishing some team leaders in my organisation had the balls to address the bad apples in their teams.

Wouldn’t this be something for HR to deal with?

Managers manage.

HR supports managers.