Resolving Common Issues in the Workplace

September 12 2019 - Conflicts, disagreements, employee disgruntlement and lack of guidance in the work place are just a few of the most common issues which can arise in a business, which is why it is important to have a plan of action to address them.

Employee relationships can change over time, as can their attitudes towards their work, and their investment in the success of the company they work for. So, before these issues start to spiral out of control, having the appropriate procedures in place to deal with them will save a company a lot of time, money and resources.

Here are some of the most common issues in the workplace, and how they can be resolved.

Employee disgruntlement

At some point or another during their career, employees will become less satisfied within their job role. When the stress of the job becomes too much, or if employees begin to feel undervalued, a myriad of issues can arise, such as a decline in morale, productivity and communication. Dealing with staff discontentment quickly, efficiently and tactfully is the only way to ensure problems don't spiral out of control.

Giving employees a sense of stability and the chance to express their concerns is one of the most effective methods of dealing with upset. This is one of the most important issues for Human Resources to deal with, as it is vital that employees feel they have a trusted party they can turn to with their complaints and concerns. In this situation, companies without a dedicated resource team would be wise to use outsourced HR services to ensure the problem is dealt with as tactfully as possible.

Conflicts in the workplace

Employees are not always going to see eye to eye, especially in highly competitive work environments, such as offices with a strict hierarchical structure. In the event of conflict, competitive behaviour needs to be moderated.

The two main ways to resolve conflict are through either compromise or collaboration. Compromising allows all parties to feel as though they are benefiting from a situation in some way. It's crucial to encourage employees to collaborate, as it allows them to feel more in charge of their own successes and relationships, and provides an outlet to address any conflicts directly.

Low productivity

There can be a number of issues for low productivity in the workplace, from absenteeism and late attendance, to personal issues in the employees' home lives, discontentment at work, and health concerns of an employee.

In most situations, giving an employee a supportive environment where they feel important to the company will increase their drive to help the company succeed. However, it is also important to be firm with people who are decreasing productivity through being negligent, as this can have a knock on effect on not only the output of work, but also on the morale of other employees. For example, the use of accurate time tracking software is a great way to determine which employees may be sparking problems with constant late or absent behaviour.

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