Managers should address knotty employee issues before these lead to chaos in the workplace

This post came out from The Straits Times (8 September 2012)
Title - Nip it in the bud

Some pointers that I've got are:
1. The attitude problem
2. The office romance
3. Inappropriate comments
4. Unprofessional attire
5. The unreliable employee

On The attitude problem

• Negativity from a co-worker not only can cause turmoil, affect productivity and create job dissatisfaction for your other employees, but it also can result in your losing your best staff.
• Always speak with any employee who is being inappropriately combative, cynical or dismissive. Try to find out what his underlying issues are and whether his outbursts have anything to do with job dissatisfaction. Sometimes, making your employee aware of the behaviour and how it affects others will help to resolve the issue.

On The office romance

• Supervisor and employee romances are fraught with legal issues and should be avoided at all costs. Co-worker romances, which may seem harmless, could backfire if the relationship ends and the co-workers are still working on projects together or sit in close proximity to each other. 
• Productivity and staff morale can go out the window in these cases. Although you can't mandate that your employees not be involved with their co-workers, you can certainly make your standards of professionalism clear to all your employees. 
• You will also want to immediately address any instances where it appears that your co-workers' relationships are spilling over into the office. Kissing, hand-holding and romantic small talk should not be allowed as it not only makes other employees uncomfortable, but it is unprofessional in a business setting.

On Inappropriate comments

• You want to foster a workplace culture that is inclusive and free from harassment. Don't allow your staff to make statements that are offensive or inappropriate in any way. Address comments that you hear immediately and be sure to follow up on concerns that your employees may bring to your attention.

On Unprofessional attire

• Managers often assume that there is no need to discus a specific dress code when hiring new staff because they believe that their employees should understand what is considered appropriate. Conversely, you may have an employee who believes that she is dressing appropriately because she assumes that if she were not, that you would have told her so. 
• You will need to make sure that your dress policy is consistently applied with all staff, and always put it in writing

On The unreliable employee

• As a manager, you must address problematic employee and the issue immediately, and determine whether further management counselling, a suspension or termination is in order. 
• Stealing from the workplace, creating conflict with other employees or not turning up for work are all signs of an employee who cannot be trusted. 

Yours,
Something Small Thinking Big