What Managers Can Do When an Employee Has Personal Issues

Usually, the only way to effectively manage attitude at work is not to let it be a personal matter, but rather to make it all about the work. But what about when it really is a personal matter that’s causing the problem?

How much do you need to know about what’s going on in an employee’s personal life?

When something is happening in an employee’s life outside of work that negatively affects the employee at work it can be very serious. For instance, it could be a clear medical issue – perhaps a newly discovered or acquired illness, or a disability of the employee themselves or a close family member. In such cases, you would understand fully that it is not your job to try and be that employee’s doctor. Make sure you respect that individual’s rights and privacy – make any reasonable accommodations that you can for the person. Be kind and decent. Perhaps your organization has some kind of employer-sponsored resources, such as an EAP (employee assistance program,) that can…