Compensation and Benefits Practices Employee Conduct/Behavior Hiring and Employment Practices Human Resources Careers Human Resources Information Systems Labor Relations - Unions Legal Aspects - Employment Law Performance Management Training & Development
Compensation and Benefits Practices Employee Conduct/Behavior Hiring and Employment Practices Human Resources Careers Human Resources Information Systems Labor Relations - Unions Legal Aspects - Employment Law Performance Management Training & Development

Employee Conduct/Behavior

Every individual should carry themselves professionally within the workplace. To achieve this, employers must come up with an employee code of conduct. A code of conduct is a legal document that states the way individuals should carry themselves in an organization. This document also indicates how to socialize with fellow workers. Without a code of conduct, your business reputation is bound to go down the drain.

The reason why you should set employee behavior standards is to ensure everyone relating with the organization, whether it’s a customer or supplier, receives fair treatment. It’s not easy to manage employee conduct in the workplace. Getting them to change their behavior and be more productive is what every employer wish. Below are some of the strategies to manage employees’ behavior.

  • Training: Offering basic training for employees and managers is essential. Training prepares managers to handle behavioral issues whenever they arise. Encourage teamwork so that employees can have a better understanding of each other.
  • Listening: Employees sometimes misbehave when they feel they are not being heard. Be open to listening to employees’ problems and find out who is responsible. Understand why the issue occurred in the first place. You will be surprised to find an underlying cause of the problem that requires your attention.
  • Treat employees with equality and honesty: When an employee shows unacceptable behavior at work, do not pass judgement that their character influenced their mistakes. Instead, let them know that they are wrong and offer a solution to avoid recurring of the error. Do not be biased.
  • Follow up disciplinary policy: It’s good to document every behavioral problem that occurs in the organization. You also need to follow up on the employee who made a mistake. In case the employee fails to change, disciplinary actions should be taken. If you decide to lay them off, having a backup document indicating the employee’s behavior will help ease the process.
  • Communicate: Organization code of conduct requires workers to treat each other with respect and dignity. Professionalism must be the number one priority for high productivity. Communicating with workers about employee conduct and discipline will go a long way. Let them know the consequences of violating the code of conduct.

Employers who relate well with workers can achieve the objective of managing employee behavior. Lead by example. You cannot expect your workers to conduct themselves with dignity while seeing you misbehave. Be the leader that they will always consult when they feel bothered. Do not use their mistakes as a tool to discriminate. Instead, give them equal opportunities to express themselves.

Taking extreme measures like firing an employee should be your last resort. Try to keep their grievances within the organization. Involve the services of a motivational speaker if need be. Once you exhaust your options, only then can you take such matters to an extreme level.

Lastly, include the employee code of conduct in the employee handbook. That way, you can always refer to it to ensure equal treatment. Also, use a language that is clear and precise, so even the low talented employees can understand.

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