How Managers Can Deal with Staff Who Let Their Personal Life Affect Their Work

One of the hardest aspects to managing a team in the workplace is the fact you are managing people. As well as humans all being unique in their own way, different individuals have a variety of different responsibilities and things going on both in their private and working lives. 

A major challenge a manager is often faced with in the workplace is how to deal with members of staff who allow their personal live to have a negative impact on how they perform in the workplace environment. Managers must show compassion and empathy towards workers, whilst also managing to hold the business intact and keeping performance targets and professional goals in mind.

Here are a few suggestions regarding ways a manager can deal with staff who let their personal life affect their work.

A Manager May Implement a Ban on Staff Using Social Media in the Office/Workspace

Social Media is undoubtedly a source of distraction in the workplace. As well as making us all more interconnected and enabling everyone to contact each other much more quickly social media also has many negative effects too. Members of staff regularly using Social Media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to keep themselves up to date with their rapidly evolving social life can easily start to have a negative impact on their concentration and performance at work. 

Another key question that arises however is; how can a manager go about enforcing such a ban on using popular social media sites in the workplace? One way is to ban certain social media websites being visited on the office space’s servers. Or, if a member of staff is found using a social media website in the workplace, a company director can put in place set penalties and disciplinary procedures for the manager to refer to and use in such cases of staff violating the company’s rules on social media at work.

Dealing with Staff Members’ Wellbeing Relating to Issues in and Out of the Workplace

Many companies in 2021 provide wellbeing and counselling services in house to safeguard and keep an eye on their employees’ physical and mental health. Managers must be aware of the fact that major developments in employees’ private lives, such as divorce and the bereavement of a loved one, can have an adverse effect on an employee’s wellbeing and their capacity to function properly in the workplace. Managers should communicate continually with staff, both in person and through using modern technologies, to ensure they are happy in themselves and at work. Employees should know they can easily get in contact with their manager to raise any concerns should they ever need to.

How Managers Can Deal with Staff in Any Trouble with the Law 

To truly cover all possibilities, a manager may want to keep the number of emergency support providers at hand should they ever need to use one to help out a member of staff. 

For example, if a member of staff is arrested and you need to get them back to work quickly, it is handy for a responsible manager to have such a contact readily available to them, contact E Parker Bail Bonds to discuss how to securely pay a bail bond. Although this may sound absurd to some, it has not been unknown for employees to go a little bit too crazy at staff Christmas party nights out and end up spending the night in a cell. 

How Managers Can Deal with Absenteeism 

One symptom of a member of staff going through something particularly difficult in their personal life may be absenteeism. Divorce proceedings are well known for being painstakingly lengthy and arduous, this can  lead to staff members having to take time off work. In this case, a manager should keep in good regular contact with the employee checking up on their physical and mental wellbeing. If a team member is absent from work for an extended long period of time or for unexplained reasons, you may have a very tough decision to make as a manager on whether you should keep them on as an employee of the company.