Moody Mondays and Tuesdays and... (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Moody Mondays and Tuesdays and...

1:43pm Tuesday 24th July 2007 in Opinion By Gail Escolme

We have all worked with at least one moody person. We may have been one ourselves!!!

How do employers - and other employees - deal with moody employees?

If the behaviour is disrupting others then some action needs to be taken. In the first instance sit the employee down and have a chat. Point out the behaviour and the effect it is having on others. It may be the case that something has happened in the employee’s personal life to provoke the behaviour, or it may be work related, they may be being bullied or are genuinely under too much pressure. As the employer you have a duty to deal with such issues.

If the employee does not admit to having a problem then you need to tell them that any further instances of moodiness will be seen as misconduct and will be dealt with accordingly.

Explain to them why it is necessary for you to take this approach, i.e. the detrimental effect it is having on others.

If disciplinary proceedings become necessary make sure you have hard evidence upon which you can rely, i.e. a written complaint from a colleague or customer. The usual sanction initially would be a formal verbal warning.

Ultimately tackle these issues early rather than letting them fester.