How to manage a negative employee

[Summerdayzz]

Hi all,

I manage a small team and I’m having issues with one staff member in particular who is always so negative about work (and life in general) and is very vocal about it in the office. It’s starting to bring the atmosphere of the office down, as well as the mood of the others (I have found out they call the person ‘the mood hoover’ and I am looking for tips on how to manage the situation.

I am having weekly catch-ups with this person to try and address the issues, they will always say ‘oh I was just being dramatic and having a bad day, I’m fine’ but nothing is really improving. I’ve also agreed to flexible working requests for their well-being but just feel like there is a new issue every week.

The person in question is young (24) and it’s their first ‘proper’ job after university so I can’t work out if they think that moaning about work is just what you do when you are an adult! I don’t want them to be unhappy but equally I need to think of my other staff members who are affected by their behaviour.

I have spoke to HR about it but any advice/similar experiences anyone has had would be greatly appreciated!

I don’t think anyone really expects eye popping enthusiasm. I’m perfectly happy with smile as long as the work gets done. However there are some who just don’t realise the impact their persistent negativity has on people, and you’d fall fowl of employment law by not giving them direct feedback and a chance to improve.

I had a similar issue.

I saw down with the person concerned and made it very positive. Focused on how much I appreciated and relied upon their input etc etc but there was something that confused me - which was their negatively any time they were asked to complete a task and asked for reasons why they were so negative.

Pointed out the impact on others the behaviour had.

Then finished up by saying that despite their negativity they then always did a good job so the negativity was baffling me.

I think the official term is a shit sandwich!

It worked although I occasionally see lapses but in general the position is now much better.

This is super helpful thank you.

For those saying ‘it’s dodgy’, they are just weekly catch-ups that I would have with any other team member (although these tend to be every 2 weeks) about their workload etc. And no team member has explicitly called them a ‘mood hoover’ to me, but of course you get a jist of what’s going on in the office.

Their social media posts have also been raised to me by another manager, with lots of negative posts about work and the hours they have to do etc. I don’t have them on social media but I know they have lots of other work and supplier connections on there and it doesn’t look good! I genuinely think it’s a immaturity/attention thing so it’s a fine line between ignoring it/pandering to it.

Glad it’s not me! They are also very well remunerated for what they do which I know isn’t everything but they don’t know how good they have it!

I understand this completely but trust me I’m not the fake, happy-clappy type. I try to be upfront about the problems we have at work and encourage the team to come up with their own solutions. But invariably this person’s solutions will be to ‘leave the company lol’, ‘win the lottery’, or ‘go travelling’. And comments like that are getting tiresome.

I was taught early on to not come with a problem unless I had an idea for a solution (however crazy) so I think this is great advice for someone early in their career.

I also start team meetings with asking everyone to share something positive from the week, work or home related, small or big. Anything from having a great weekend, getting all their emails read, all the way to closing a deal or making a big saving! It sets the tone off as positive and as it doesn't have to be work related, so far doesn't feel fake, and honestly brightens my week! Might help your person at least set out positively.

Is the role paid well for what it is?

I've worked some truly mundane, soul destroying jobs. If the pay is shit and theres no benefits, it's easy to get frustrated.

I do sympathise with you, OP. I've had staff like that, very difficult to work with sometimes.

So you have official mandated meetings with all members of your team every fortnight, but this person every week.

And someone else has looked at their Facebook account.

Unless they have signed a specific disclaimer saying they won't mention the workplace at all (these do exist, most of us have come across them at various stages) you can't hold that against them. Even if they were actively criticising the company. Unless what they were saying were untrue and could be proven to be so. And that's very difficult to prove anyway.

I think you should get HR official advice on what to do, if anything. Because seriously, even the fact you are having more official meetings with this person than others is unacceptable unless they've been told, in writing, why.

You could find yourself at the end of a bullying/harassment report.

I'm not trying to freak you out, but you come across all sorts in the workplace and at the end of the day, it boils down to one question only that needs answering.

Is she doing the job properly?

You haven't said she isn't.

Blimey! That is so hard core. Whilst this person’s outlook and attitude for sure has a negative impact on colleagues and the general atmosphere in the office, perhaps this person just needs firm but kind guidance. If they are are straight out of university this may be their first proper job. Also, if they are lacking confidence in themselves and/or have any anxiety then this could present its self through constant negative talk, putting yourself down, being negative things etc. Maybe they just need a chance - why the extreme, hard core approach to this?

Sorry, OP. I have just seen they are well paid.

Don’t pass their probation

To be honest as someone who's 26 I think this is just the majority of young people attitude and culture. I think 18-30's are typically more vocal about their discontent and we don't have the same vernacular to 'show face' in different situations such as social situations or the workplace that older people have. I'm not saying it's right or wrong but it's just my observation.

Younger people culture is just different - they don't tend to small talk or do niceties or understand appropriateness in certain situations and connect by finding dark humour in mundane things like hating work/capitalism/being depressed/having anxiety. I was the same when I first joined a corporate workplace at 22 with predominantly with a workforce of over 40. Took me a while to realise what I find funny or what I find to be normal conversation with my friends does NOT go down well at the office. I would just give her time to figure that out, she will clock on eventually. Unless she has done something wrong like gross misconduct, I don't think you can discipline her or give her a warning for expressing her feelings in the office (even if it's annoying). There was actually a HR case not long ago where someone got fired for being 'annoying' in the office, they took the employer to tribunal and won.

You could have a conversation with them and highlight all the signs you've spotted that they may not be happy and if there is a reason for this?
You can make her aware of the employee assistance programme and mental health first aiders if you have them.
Don't assume she's just a typical generation Z, there might genuinely be some depression there, so rule that out before you do anything else.

I would tell them exactly what you said here! Reality checks like this have really helped me get perspective in the past. There’s no reason to shy away from saying this.

my colleague is nearly 60 and the most negative person you could meet.
i cant say negativity is age related

Absolutely you can fire someone for that if their conduct is not in line with organisational standards.

Disciplinary procedures exist for reasons like this and serial moaning without substance while impacting other colleagues is absolutely justifiable to formally warn said person.

Not many employers would embrace let alone put up with such behaviour.

@HelplessSoul

We had a manager who thought like that.

Sacked for bullying.

I used to manage people. God it’s the worst job going. My advice is to get promoted yourself. People are really shit, there is no getting away from it.

This is what comes of ‘bringing your whole self to work’ - allows youngsters to believe they can say & behave how they like.

Firm guidance & make them aware of your expectations - praise the good parts and if they want to progress a positive attitude to their work is required. Leave the moaning at the door like everyone else.

Yep - same in my workplace.

And while I get that some people have stuff going on that makes them view life more negatively, it's hugely draining being in the same room as them for 9 hours plus a day. And even worse when that negative attitude rubs off on others who then follow suit.

My particular problem with the moaning is that it spreads misery to others who were quite happy before.

I actually think if my misery moves on he'll realise with hindsight he had it quite good here. I also think you cannot describe yourself as a team player if you cannot control your negative thoughts and have to say them out loud ALL the time. You don't know what people are going home to deal with afterwards. Sometimes, even in a nice workplace there's a really difficult period.

@Suckingalemon agree with all of this! In my situation I do think, like PP have mentioned, that the reaction from their peers will start to have an impact.

In my experience people are negative at work when they are bored and insufficiently challenged - they invent conflicts to occupy themselves.

Can you give your team member more to do?

I took over a team with someone like this in it. I fed back what her colleagues thought of her and she finally moved on. I liked her personally, but for us and for her she needed to move on.

I have worked with people who have gone through a bad patch, but even with them I quite quickly want to see them taking positive steps to address it and not get themselves stuck in misery.

You can try to have a positive workplace and you can encourage, but equally you have to take action if someone is constantly miserable as misery loves company and it makes everyone miserable!

Treat it as a performance issue, which it is, and act accordingly.

Clearly they had the wrong approach.

As long as the OP is following company procedures/guidance around bad behaviour and conduct, and appropriately puts said person on notice about it, theres no way that that is bullying.

It would be the OP doing her job as per the procedures - something that the OP's direct report is not doing.

🤷‍♂️