Have you retaliated against an employee? Most would likely answer “Of course not!” After all, you know it’s illegal and, what’s more, you’re probably a pretty nice person, too. But the fact is that, in the eyes of federal law, supervisors may be engaged in workplace retaliation without even realizing it.
Defining workplace retaliation.
This happens when an employer takes action against an employee because the worker engaged in “protected conduct.” Protected conduct covers a range of activities, from complaining internally about sexual harassment to participating in a hearing or investigation regarding the employer.
Here’s what workplace retaliation looks like:
- The employee engages in a protected conduct, and the employer knows the worker engaged in it.
- As a result, the employer takes negative action against the worker.
Retaliation claims have risen in recent years for a number of reasons including the U.S. Supreme Court’s expansion of workers’ rights regarding retaliation, increased employee awareness, and more robust enforcement from regulatory agencies.
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Bullying or bantering. Can you tell the difference between the two? As a supervisor, you know it can be tricky sometimes to determine what is genuine workplace bullying and what is typical 
colleague bantering. This guide will give you a workplace bullying definition you can use to create a happier, more productive workplace.
What does bullying look like?
The workplace bullying definition can apply to a single bully or a group of people who:
- Play practical jokes repeatedly on the same victim.
- Single out one employee persistently for blame or criticism.
- Exclude a worker regularly from company activities.
- Deliberately and persistently ignore a particular employee’s work or contributions.
- Verbally abuse an employee through regular swearing, shouting, or intimidation.
- Threaten or sabotage an employee’s professional status.
What is not bullying?
- A co-worker who is critical of all colleagues or customers.
- A manager who regularly shouts at or criticizes all employees.
- Harassment based on a person’s gender, religion, ethnicity, or other protected status.
So what’s the difference?
A shouting manager and a cranky co-worker are more likely to be guilty of poor social skills than bullying. The workplace bullying definition is typically related to negative behavior directed at one particular person or group. The behaviors are designed to embarrass or intimidate the victims and are often persistent.
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Let’s face it: dealing with poor performance at work is probably your least favorite part of the day. But do you know how to manage bad performance in an efficient and effective way? This guide will share what not to do when managing employees who aren’t fulfilling their responsibilities.
- Ignore the situation. When an employee doesn’t do his or her task, it creates a chain of negative consequences, from lower productivity to lower team morale. So as tempting as it might be to let the employee “work it out,” a good supervisor will start dealing with poor performance at work as soon as the pattern emerges.
- Keep performance standards a well-guarded secret. Remember how you felt when you got in trouble as a child for breaking a rule you didn’t know existed? Employees get that same feeling when they are disciplined for not meeting a standard they were unaware of. Make sure all performance expectations are clearly outlined and that the worker understands them.
- Let the frustration get to you. There’s no question that dealing with poor performance at work is stressful. But allowing their performance to get under your own skin will do nothing but turn you into a crab no one wants to work for. Instead, take some deep breaths, do a few yoga poses, or do whatever makes you a calmer person better able to deal with workers effectively.
- Assume the worker is just lazy. That employee is a lazy bum, right? Probably not. Employees want to feel confident, needed, and respected. So when dealing with poor performance at work, a savvy manager will speak with the worker to find out if another factor is triggering the behavior. For instance, you might find the once-stellar worker who now can’t complete tasks has just learned his child has a serious medical condition. That type of insight will help you start getting the worker back on the right track.
- Leave the employee on his or her own. After all, you’re not their personal support system. Really, you’re not. But part of effectively dealing with poor performance at work may include providing resources when necessary. Remember the employee with the sick child? You might direct him to the company health care provider’s resources, such as a stress management program.
- Set the employee up for failure. No matter what your personal feelings about a worker might be, don’t allow those feelings to sabotage him or her. For example, don’t publicly distance the person from the rest of the team by saying things like “You know Rich…he’s just rude” or “She’s never been good at operating that machine.”
- Just fire them. Hiring a new employee costs time, money, and productivity, which is why, in most cases, it’s in your best interest as a supervisor to start dealing with poor performance at work before it becomes a termination situation.
Dealing with poor performance at work isn’t fun, but it is necessary. Now that you know what not to do, it’s time to start employing the management tactics that build a team able to get the job done.
Dianne Shaddock is the President of Easy Small Business HR, Employee Hiring and Managing Tips and the author of the ebook “How To Supervise: What Your Boss Never Told You Before You Took the Job“, A Step-By-Step Guide For New and Seasoned Managers.
Unhappy employees.
