Avoiding workplace relationship breakdowns
It happens all the time, one person in the office learns some gossip about another person and it spreads like wildfire. Pretty soon this individual is left hurt, embarrassed, upset, and frustrated with their job. There are a number of reasons that cause workplace unity to breakdown. This article will review some of the common things that cause workplace relationships to breakdown and how your office can avoid them.
Personal Relationships
One reason why a lot of co-workers don't get along is because of their personal relationships. Positive home lives can boost employee morale and helps them to become more productive. When they have a breakdown in their home relationships like divorce, death, arguments, etc., they tend to bring these to work and they will unload them on their co-workers. If you have an employee that comes in with a sour attitude or constantly complains about their home life, talk to them about their behavior. Let them know that they are dragging down the employee morale at the office and they either need to seek counseling or they need to look for a new job.
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Judgments
Another thing that causes workplace relationships to breakdown is the judgments co-workers pass on one another. While your executives and higher-paid employees probably deserve the income they are making, they need to be mindful of the other people at the office that just don't make as much money as they do. Let all of your employees know that they are not to pass judgment on their co-workers, everyone must be treated equally.
Office Relationships
When two employees get involved romantically, it can cause tension with their co-workers. If two employees get involved romantically, consider moving them to different departments or buildings so their relationship doesn't impact the office. Romantic office relationships can be particularly frustrating for employees that have morale standards and do not appreciate the fact that their co-workers are not being honest to their loved ones at home. If you sense that two of your employees are getting romantically involved, diffuse the situation as quickly as possible.
The other thing you need to watch out for is workplace harassment and bullying that comes as a result of the end of a relationship. If the employees cannot learn how to work with one another again, it may be time to give them the option to look for a new job.
How can you help?
So what can employers do to help workplace relationships from breaking down? Here are some simple suggestions to follow:
- Encourage friendship at the office. While everyone doesn't need to go out to lunch everyday or see a movie, it does help to get them out of the office and let them connect on a personal level. Have an employee appreciation day where your employee's can get half a day off to spend at a local recreational park. This is a great way to encourage the employees to get to know one another better.
- Assess issues that impact employee morale. Excessive absences, leaving work early, coming in late, and sour attitudes can have a huge impact on employee morale. Talk to the employees that engage in this type of behavior and let them know that it is not acceptable.
- Make sure all the machinery is working at your office. Employee morale can be reduced when the tools people need to perform their jobs properly are not working correctly. If something breaks, work quickly to fix it so it won't be a problem.
- Ask employees for their input on how you can make the office environment better for everyone. If you promise certain things, make sure they happen.
