Struggling with a Trainee's Repeated Absences and Attitude: How Should I Respond?

Dear Sohini,

I do agree with all the people that you should handle the situation in a polite manner, but let me also tell you that as HR, you have certain duties and responsibilities towards the organization as well. In my opinion, besides talking to her, you should also communicate with her about disciplinary action and issue her a warning letter for her late coming and absenteeism because you are not running a charitable organization. This has happened in my company as well. I talked to that girl and told her about her responsibilities. Side by side, I also informed her about the consequences if she does not improve. I had issued two warning letters in the span of four months, and finally, when I was preparing to give a Show Cause notice, she resigned and left.

Dear,

I would suggest taking a face-to-face interview with her and trying to understand why she is behaving like this. Make sure that she doesn't feel that you are going to take her class; create a friendly environment and let her feel that you are with her, not only you but also the company (management) is with her. Make sure to note down whatever she says during the meeting and file it in her personal record. If the same issue occurs again in the future, then I would recommend following the company's policy on disciplinary matters and taking appropriate steps.

Regards,
Rupendra

This scenario doesn't add up....

You have appointed a trainee and made that person responsible for a project? Is she a reference candidate of a senior management person or related to someone in your organization? She obviously reports to someone in your organization (and I'm sure that's not you). What is the reaction of that person about this "trainee"?

The reason, I'm so intrigued about the "trainee" is that despite what all have suggested of everyone having personal problems (Blah Blah!!!), I would like to believe that more than her problems, it is her feeling of being indispensable that is driving her actions. Her disregard for your position and seniority (by her behavior and response patterns) enhances this thought further. This feeling, in general, does not come by default but is created by either the actions of the management or existing/created relationships. The only other reason for her behavior is that she is not seriously looking at a long-term career in your organization but is using it as a stopgap arrangement, and hence she is not bothered about the effects of her actions.

What many people do not understand and appreciate is the impact of such incidents on the employees, and the worst impact is on the "value" of HR in the organization. The longer this problem persists and is not dealt with forcefully, the more the chances are that HR would be less respected and valued as a proactive function.

I think you have already exhausted the option of "communicate, convince, and change." Personally, I think it's not an option. It is by default a part of the responsibility of an HR person in any organization in any scenario. You need to continuously communicate, convince, and change irrespective of whether a problem exists or not. Having said that, the only option left to you is "Double or Quits." Either she changes or she quits. Of course, to do this, you need to have the full support of your top management. If she changes, good for everyone (Win-Win), if she quits, everyone loses (lose-lose)... but either way, the winner will always be the HR because you have managed to stop this particular problem from spreading to others and creating a ripple effect in the organization.

Cheers

Navneet Chandra

Hi Sohini,

I understand your predicament. Well, she must be having some psychological problem and genuine too. What she needs is a good break. Allow her to go to her rocks. Before that, don't blame the performer but blame the performance. Catch her doing good things. Concentrate on her strengths rather than on negatives. You need to change your interpersonal skills and communication styles. There will be hundreds of reasons, and from here, I cannot comprehend it. BUT GENERALLY, WOMEN ARE VULNERABLE TO EMOTIONAL TRIGGERS. ONE IMPORTANT THING IS THE FIRST IMPRESSION ONE GETS WITHIN THE FIRST FEW SECONDS {HERE YOU STAND} MATTERS MOST. WHAT IS HER IMPRESSION ABOUT YOU? MOTIVATE OR CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT SO SHE SELF-MOTIVATES. ASK HER TO ATTEND SOME MOTIVATIONAL CLASSES OR YOU SPONSOR. Give good motivational self-help books. For some time, keep quiet and observe your behavior. If we go by her responses or reactions, probably, you also need to change. Change your leadership skills. WELL, IT IS REALLY CHALLENGING. SMALL ADVICE. DON'T MISTAKE. YOUR WRITING SKILLS NEED SOME FINE-TUNING. ALL THE BEST.

Hi, I read your problem. Speaking kindly but firmly to her may be the first step. Find out if she does have a genuine problem at home, or workplace, and finally psychologically. Also, a gentle reminder of her responsibilities may not be out of place. Once convinced that despite your efforts there is no response or improvement, a graded response may be resorted to. A recorded counseling, failing which disciplinary action under the powers vested in you as her superior. Remember, indiscipline tolerated for long or ignored will have a very bad effect on the rest of the team, as well as undermine your authority. Even if your problematic employee is brilliantly gifted and professionally sound, such qualities may have to be sacrificed at the altar of organizational interest and teamwork.

Indiscipline of any sort in any organization can not only be contagious but also very demoralizing for the other staff. She has to leave the organization; otherwise, there will be a consequential negative impact on the other employees. Since you have exhausted all the civilized ways of making her rectify her ways, you do not have any option but to start building up a case against her by issuing her memos first. From what you have said about her, she will definitely react, and in all probability, will quit.

Hi Sohini,

I guess you have already tried to discuss this issue with her, now it's time to discuss and escalate this issue with your higher authorities. At the same time, you will have to take into account her performance and role in the project. At the end, what is more important for an HR person is "not losing and rather retaining a good resource for your company". So, before talking to your higher management, make a quick summary of her performance details (like previous and current performance appraisal ratings), and if her attendance is affecting your company's project performance or other team members, then highlight this issue to management with proper proofs.

Finally, you can issue a warning letter (preliminary) regarding poor attendance. This action becomes sometimes necessary as other team members are prone to follow the same steps if they find that management is taking matters lightly. So as for now, instead of termination, first send her the 1st warning letter and ask for her immediate action on it. Also, if she has any kinds of personal problems, ask her that she is always welcome to come and discuss. But if this attitude involves any kind of ego issues, then it will not be entertained here.

Regards,
Kalyani

Hi Sohini,

ATTITUDE plays a significant role in all companies. I think she may have some personal problems. Try to analyze that and ask her close friends about this. Then, talk to her about how her attitude will affect her career. If she is not changing herself, ask her to take a leave for a month to solve her issues. If it continues, that type of culture will create ripples among other trainees as well. Try to create a second line to always take up the work. We need an all-rounder not only in cricket but also in the office.

Regards,
SPS

Hi,

Please follow the steps below:

1) Meet and speak with her in a friendly manner to understand her problem.
2) Study her attitude, family background, and her importance in the job.
3) If she is not in need, issue her a warning letter according to the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946.

Report her behavior to a senior person.

Regards,
Dilip

Well ma'am, I'm just an MBA fresher with no hands-on experience as such. So I would like to put myself in your shoes and express what I would do in a similar situation:

I believe that at the end of the day, we expect "output" and "productivity of the employee." Therefore, I would assess if the employee is productive enough based on their past records. If the employee has consistently shown productivity, I would, with proper permission from top management, attempt to accommodate them with flexible timing. I would inquire about the most suitable time for them; for instance, if the standard 9 to 5 schedule is not feasible, I would consider allocating either a 10 to 7 or 11 to 8 schedule.

If the adjusted timings still do not work, I would suggest the option of "working from home" on alternate days. However, it is crucial not to compromise on productivity. This approach aims to retain a valuable employee, thereby reducing attrition, while ensuring that the quality and productivity of output are maintained.

I hope this approach proves effective.

Regards, Shweta Jha.

Dear All,

We were having a mutual understanding with the union before the agreement that the company would take a mediclaim policy for unionized workers. However, it was not included in the final agreement. Now, our corporate office is refusing to provide the mediclaim policy. As an HR manager, I was part of giving the commitment for the mediclaim. We have a MoU signed on plain paper.

What should I do?

Anand B

Hi Sohini,

A friendly gesture won't always help; there are certain situations where you should be strict because this will influence other employees. Here are some steps to consider:

- Analyze her performance and gather facts that prove her lapses in punctuality.
- Send her a written warning; it's high time to stop counseling.
- One suggestion, from a dear member, is to give her notice and start searching for a replacement.

Deepthi.J

Dear Friend,

As an HR professional, you need to identify the exact problem causing her behavior. Be friendly with her and help solve her issues.

Give three chances of late coming in a month up to half an hour, beyond which wages will be cut for half a day. If she continues to come late thereafter, do not assign any work to her for the entire day. Keep her idle. Repeat the same every time. She might change with this approach.

If you can find an alternative person, dismiss her without any consideration as this is not a charity organization. She is only a trainee. Inform her that this information will be passed on to her future employer, which will have a very adverse effect on her. She will definitely be fearful if she plans to seek future employment.

Thank you, Ravi, for your valuable suggestion. However, if this continues, she may take it for granted, and in that case, other employees may also oppose it.

I think Ravi is right. Do not terminate her. Develop redundancy and replacement and take care of the work.

Dear Sohini,

I would like to put on record that the notice you issued with threatening language such as a reduction in salary was inappropriate from the outset. Instead, you should have taken steps to understand the organizational culture that may have led employees to take things for granted, such as arriving late. Rather than issuing repeated warnings, why not try to pinpoint the specific issue with that lady and work towards finding a solution within the organizational framework? I still believe that you can have a conversation with her, show empathy, identify the problem, and work together to find a resolution.

Wishing you all the best.

Gokul

Dear friends,

I have been facing a very challenging situation in my office for the past few months. There is a female employee in our office who is a trainee. Over the last few months, I have noticed that employees have not been punctual in arriving at the office. I issued a notice to address this, and most employees complied, except for this particular trainee who continued to arrive late. Despite my repeated warnings, she did not rectify her behavior. One day, she even challenged me by stating that if she was late, I could take any action, including deducting her salary as mentioned in the notice. I remained silent at that time.

Last Thursday, she called me in the morning to inform me that her mother was unwell, and she would not be able to come to the office, to which I agreed. However, the next day, she called again to say she couldn't come due to her mother's health. I insisted that she needed to come as her absence was affecting our project, which she was handling independently. She reluctantly agreed to try. By midday, she was unresponsive to my calls, and when she finally answered, she disconnected abruptly.

She later came to my office with the same attitude. I questioned her about her behavior from the previous day and cited past incidents as well. After our conversation, she left my office. When I visited her workspace for another matter, I found she had left the office early. Her colleague informed me of her departure.

I immediately called her, and after initially ignoring my calls, she answered and expressed unwillingness to work. I managed to persuade her to return to the office.

I seek your advice on how to address this recurring issue of her leaving abruptly and other disruptive behavior.

PLEASE, PLEASE HELP ME. I WOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR SUGGESTIONS.

Best regards,
Sohini Basu Roy

Hi,

From what I can see, it's now taken a personal turn and not an official one. Hence, this has to be dealt with not in an official manner. I find that even your ego is getting affected. Meet her in person, not in your cabin or her workplace, but try to set up this meeting, say at your company canteen at odd hours. Start with her. Let her tell all her problems. It will be mostly personal. Only listen. Don't interrupt. She is probably waiting for someone to listen to her.

See what's the actual reason. Analyze the reasons. Ask her in what way the organization can help her. Ask her in what way you can help her. Then ask her what she is going to do from her side to improve things. Observe for a week without any more conversations. Then, if things don't improve, you can take the more serious measures which are easier but painful for her, you, and the company.

Regards, Sandeep Powar

Dear Sohini,

Please check on the following:

1. At this stage, it would be wise for you to withdraw a little bit and bring in HR or somebody that both of you trust to have this girl counselled. Try to salvage the situation.

2. Invoke your disciplinary procedures immediately and place this issue on record, or your competence and credibility as a manager will come under the scanner at a later date.

3. Start creating a backup for your project in case this girl quits, as seems to be the case.

Regards,

Hi,

The problem you are facing is quite common, and such types of employees can be found in most organizations. These employees feel proud of breaking laws and show others, "See how I am nailing down HR."

Since this is a common problem, each company has its rules regarding late coming, habitual lateness, etc.

You have tried all possibilities, but this employee is not ready to improve. As a friend rightly said, we are not GOD to solve all problems. We should try to help them minimize their personal problems, but we cannot eliminate their personal problems.

So, make it clear to her that this is a policy, and she should follow the policy now, even if she has to lose her salary - no problem.

Create a report of her absenteeism and give her a simple letter detailing all this information. Lastly, mention that her habitual lateness and indifferent attitude shall be reviewed at the time of appointment or confirmation.

If she is least bothered and unwilling to improve, it's best to write to her boss and seek his explanation on the matter.

Employees not willing to accept company policy should be shown the door, no matter how great a job they are doing.

If you do not treat this as important, then discipline in the company will be at stake. Be soft, positive, but within the company policy.

Anyway, she is a trainee, so start looking out for a replacement in coordination with the project head.

Kamlesh Kanojia

Take a glimpse of the advice. Clarify whether he is competent for your organization. She does her work with efficiency and effectiveness. If both things are okay, then forget her duties, counsel her, befriend her, and try to know which things are hurting her most. Consider the pros and cons of the job, chances of getting new jobs, and the impact of references. I hope discussing these topics can help you come to some conclusion. Either she will change or it's better to sack her.

Hi,

I don't think a friendly meeting with her will help. It would be best to send a notice to her through written communication and recruit another person. This situation could affect your company's performance level and productivity, so please be strict with company policy. This will set an example for others to follow.

So, don't wait. Please take quick action on this.

Regards,
Viji

Dear Ms. Sohini Basu,

I read your email and I understand that the employee is not attending her duties well. Here, I have two solutions.

Firstly, find out whether her excuses are all genuine. Have an open talk with her to determine the reason for her behavior. If you feel that her answers are genuine, you can offer a solution. If she is genuinely interested in work but struggling to manage timings, you can offer flexible working hours, especially if she is a knowledge worker. Additionally, you can consider allowing her to work from home.

Secondly, if you discover that she is not interested in work and is intentionally leaving the workplace, you can take disciplinary action by providing counseling, issuing warnings, implementing suspensions, and ultimately considering termination.

I hope my solutions will be helpful.

Thank you.

Hi Sohini,

Please conduct a meeting when your reporting boss and her reporting boss are available. Approach the discussion in a friendly and polite manner to address the issues impacting the execution and progress of the project, leading to delays.

The organization cannot compromise on losses or delays due to various issues, especially caused by the unavailability of a single employee.

Before conducting the meeting, prepare a summary/report covering the following points:

1. Total number of full days present.
2. Total number of days with half-day leaves with intimation.
3. Total number of days with half-day/full-day leaves without intimation.
4. Project progress report before and after the issues were raised.

Having these reports during the meeting will make everything self-explanatory, requiring no further discussion. The issue will be resolved automatically.

Let's maintain professionalism. The organization can manage to a certain extent, but beyond that, it may not be possible. In such cases, it is advisable to apologize.

Vijay Srivastava
Assistant Manager
09999031767

Hi,

Well, you might have received a lot of suggestions, but I would like to share something. First, try to determine the reason for her behavior. Investigate whether her behavior has been consistent from the beginning or if it has changed due to any particular reason or event.

What I can observe is that you may be either too lenient or too strict with your employees. Remember, excess of anything is detrimental. Try to uncover the cause behind her altered behavior.

Secondly, if she has decided that she does not want to work with you, do not compel her to stay as it could exacerbate the situation. Forced actions do not yield desired results. Therefore, simultaneously start searching for an alternative employee who can manage her responsibilities without her knowledge.

Hi,

According to me, when it becomes unbearable for you, you can warn her and inform her that due to her attitude, you are no longer working on this project (which she handles independently). It will serve as a lesson to her as well as others. I know this may seem harsh, but if you want to maintain discipline, you should make this kind of decision. If she improves, then you can assign her the same or another project.

Thank you.

Thank you, friends. I am applying all the possible ways that you all have suggested, and the good thing about it is she is behaving normally now. Thank you all. :)

Hi Sohini,

What you can do is better to terminate her so that other employees will not take you for granted. Anyway, your project is getting delayed day by day, so the best option is to select the right kind of person to handle this project. This way, your project will not be delayed, and others will be indirectly warned.

Regards,
Manjula Sharma
General Manager (HR & ADMIN)

Hello Roy,

I understand that she is not interested in working. She may need counselling to understand the norms and the aftereffects of not adhering to the company rules and regulations. She must understand the difficulties the management faces because of her habit of coming in late.

As an HR professional, you can send a letter requesting an explanation, conduct a personal inquiry, and warn her as a final step. If she continues to come late with poor excuses, you may proceed with terminating her employment to maintain the decorum of your office.

Goodbye,

Sabarigiri
Coimbatore

Hi,

I would say this is unprofessional behavior, and I am sure you have evidence of her absence in the office several times. You can document all that, consult your higher-ups, give a written notice to show cause, and set a deadline to correct her behavior. Otherwise, discuss the option of termination.

Regards,
Renu

Dear Sohini,

You have to conduct counseling with her. Everyone has talked to her in a friendly manner. However, in my opinion, your words may be friendly, but you are not establishing friendships within the organization. This may lead to others taking advantage of you. Therefore, remain composed and consider her and her family. Are there any reasonable problems with her? You need to gather information about her and her family's attitudes and behavior. Only then can you align with her in your approach.

Is this advice helpful?

Thank you,
Swaroop

Pass the project to others and try to help the newcomer. Don't assign her any work for one week.

Regards,
Dwarika

Hi Sohini Roy,

A small suggestion: first, have a small discussion with her and understand what her main problem is. If the problem is justified by her, provide a good solution to her. If the main problem is timings, provide her flexible timings so that she can complete her targets and projects. Handle her carefully because she should not be vexed with your vague discussion. As an HR professional, you need to understand her main problem.

All the best.

Hi,

One difficult employee is getting so much response or reaction from so many. The important question is, is the response varied, divided, or in chorus? Well, that teaches us about PERCEPTION. Please do not TAKE ACTION BASED ON MY OR SOMEBODY'S PERCEPTION. USE YOUR DISCRETION BASED ON REALITY. OH MY GOD, AGAIN IT IS BASED ON YOUR PERCEPTION. TELL ME HOW MUCH TIME YOU ARE WASTING ON ONE EMPLOYEE AGAINST HOW MANY? SOMETIMES IT IS WORTH IT. IF YOU HAVE EXHAUSTED ALL THE AVENUES, GIVE HER A PINK SLIP WITH ALL HONOUR, BUT BE SURE YOU ARE RIGHT. ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS: ARE YOU SURE YOU ARE CONFIDENT IN BODY LANGUAGE SKILLS? IS SHE NEGLIGENT IN HER PRESENT CAREER? DOES SHE REALLY HAVE A PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEM? IS HER OUTPUT OK? IS HER PRODUCTIVITY ALRIGHT? ARE YOU WORRIED ABOUT ONLY HER ATTENDANCE, OR ARE YOU ONLY CONCERNED ABOUT HER RESPECT FOR SUPERIORS? HOW IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHERS? ARE YOU TRYING TO PLEASE SOMEBODY TARGETING HER? I CAN POSE QUESTIONS, BUT, ONLY BUT, YOU ARE THE BETTER JUDGE. THINK AND THINK "YOU ARE THE BETTER JUDGE GIVEN THE SITUATION." IMP - WHY HAS SHE NOT RESPONDED TO THIS?

Thank you.

Hi Friends,

All your suggestions are good, but think of the Senior HR Manager who is facing all this nonsense. Why should Sohini or any of the HR team have to deal with this kind of nonsense? :-x

Sohini, try to find an alternative for that position without her knowledge. Also, convey this to the higher authorities. Once you have candidates to replace her in your pipeline, you can issue a letter to address her behavior, or else she will be asked to leave. If she values her job, she will adjust her attitude. If she does not want the job, she will resign. Either way, it will benefit you. If she leaves, you have a suitable replacement, and if she stays and follows instructions, that's even better. Sometimes, this approach works out.

Thanks & Regards,
John
HR Manager

Hi,

Nice to see your email. Just call or send an email to all the employees instructing them to come to the office on time. If you notice any employees not following this rule, send an email to all the employees stating that starting from next month, the salary will be based on "consolidated time." This means they will be paid for the number of hours they work from when they log in to when they log out. I suggest trying this approach as it has worked well in my organization.

Regards,
Ram
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Hi,

I do agree with all of your words and suggestions. We are human resources (Humanity). If you remove the employee from the organization, will this provide a solution or should we punish them? We should be considerate to employees; that's why we have been appointed.

Just inform all the employees that from next month, HR & Finance have planned to pay salaries in a consolidated way. Then, see everyone will be on time.

Have a great day and keep smiling.

Dear Sohini Basu Roy,

I am faced with a difficult situation that I find challenging to solve. I believe she may be experiencing some personal troubles. My suggestion for this matter is as follows:

Leave her alone; do not assign her any work. Allow her to take leave and deduct her salary for the days or hours she is absent (to ensure fair treatment in comparison to other employees) until she decides to resign. You should refrain from terminating her.

You cannot be her friend because she has not shared any information with you.

Regards,

Being good to subordinates is always welcome. But remember, the rules are always the same for everyone, whether they are senior or junior. It is a matter of concern if she is not obeying you, and if this behavior continues, others will also comment, "She is always late, first mind him, then us." Surely, you will not have any answer to this question. If you cannot take action against one person, how can you handle others?

So, my suggestion will be:

1. Be good, treat her like a friend, but if she does not understand the importance of punctuality, teach her a lesson through simple steps:
(a) Memorandum (written)
(b) Verbal explanation (written)
(c) Deducting pay (firm step)
(d) Termination (last resort)

Another approach to this situation could be:

If she is irregular but completes her projects (her own part) with quality and quantity on time, then you don't have to intervene.

After all, we are managers, which stems from management. And what is management? It is managing people and time, i.e., managing people in a timely manner—neither too early nor too late, but right on time.

Friends,

Assuming Ms. Sohini Roy is giving an accurate version of the behavior and her response, I am afraid I do not agree with most of the replies.

Firstly, no one is indispensable to a company. This message should go out loud and clear to all.

Secondly, while good salary, good working conditions, and all other legal protections and facilities are rights of all employees, indiscipline should never be tolerated. Inefficiency, mistakes, blunders, and a bit of stupidity may be okay, but never indiscipline. I feel indiscipline is contagious. If you tolerate the indiscipline of one person, others will follow, knowing that it can be tolerated.

Thirdly, employees are not kids but grown-ups who decide to take up a given job consciously. It is not voluntary but a quid-pro-quo contractual arrangement.

With this in view, I feel a trainee can be terminated if he or she is not following the company discipline and not performing satisfactorily in training. Training is a status before probation, and hence, no rights accrue to a trainee. You may have a Training Officer, which could be the HR person itself. They can file a report about tardy conduct, failure to get training, and indiscipline, and based on that, terminate him or her without further ado, so that others do not copy their behavior.

Abdul Hameed

My name is Joseph Ndomba. It is the first time I am commenting on this site, but really, this situation needs attention. My suggestion is to have a final conversation with her in a mediated manner. This means you should invite a third party to act as a witness to the conversation; this third party could be her Head of Department or Supervisor. If possible, ensure that the conversation is documented and signed by both parties. During this conversation, make sure to explore all details to support the solution. Additionally, ensure that your organization has rules, regulations, or grievance mechanisms in place to handle such situations.

Dear Friend,

If any person, male or female, who else came late to the company, they should work compensatory hours equal to the time they arrived late, whether it be five times or ten times. This may result in receiving three or four warnings. The next action will be a deduction from the salary.

Ravichandiran

Hi Sohini,

First of all, have a one-to-one session (you & trainee only). In that session, try to identify the root cause of the problem. Maybe she is facing some issues in the organization that she thinks she can't discuss as a trainee OR she might be feeling that she is not getting proper rewards for her efforts. Or there may be some personal problems.

If the problem is personal, give her some time to resolve it completely. If the issue is related to rewards or other matters that she might be facing and cannot discuss, try to address or resolve the problem.

Try assigning her some major responsibilities that make her feel valued in the office. For example, give her the task of managing attendance – ask her to take everyone's attendance. This can help improve her punctuality. However, since you mentioned that she doesn't seem to care about anything, do not fully trust her. Inform your staff that from today onwards, attendance will be marked twice in the morning – once with the trainee and once with you, or keep a second option without informing the trainee. Monitor her for a week or two, and then have another one-to-one session with her.

I hope this approach works.

Good day,
Karuna Kerni

Dear Navneet Chandra,

Really very good analytical thinking by you on this issue! I am totally impressed by your post.

If she reads all these people's suggestions, she will definitely realize what kind of mistake she made in her values and culture, and how she contributed to the organization from her part.

Nobody's intention or interest is to punish her where there is no benefit for anybody. But everybody contributed their suggestions only to help her understand the organizational values and, above all, to be a better human being and apply some values in life.

Carrot and Stick Theory! What to do? Many times the Stick Theory (fear of punishment) works! See, now the lady started correcting herself! That is what we all need!

If she reads all these people's suggestions, she will realize and hopefully not repeat it in the future in any organization.

Thanks and regards,
H. Sankararaman

This scenario doesn't add up.... 1. You have appointed a trainee and made that person responsible for a project? Is she a reference candidate of a senior management person or related to someone in your organization? 2. She obviously reports to someone in your organization (and I'm sure that's not you). What is the reaction of that person about this "trainee"?

The reason I'm so intrigued about the "trainee" is that despite what everyone has suggested about personal problems (blah blah!!!), I would like to believe that more than her problems, it is her feeling of being indispensable that is driving her actions. Her disregard for your position and seniority (by her behavior and response patterns) enhances this thought further. This feeling, in general, does not come by default but is created by either the actions of the management or existing/created relationships. The only other reason for her behavior is that she is not seriously looking at a long-term career in your organization but is using it as a stop-gap arrangement and hence is not bothered about the effects of her actions.

What many people do not understand and appreciate is the impact of such incidents on the employees, and the worst impact is on the "value" of HR in the organization. The longer this problem persists and is not dealt with forcefully, the more the chances are that HR would be less respected and valued as a proactive function.

I think you have already exhausted the option of "communicate, convince, and change." Personally, I think it's not an option. It is by default a part of the responsibility of an HR person in any organization in any scenario. You need to continuously communicate, convince, and change irrespective of whether a problem exists or not. Having said that, the only option left to you is "double or quits." Either she changes or she quits. Of course, to do this, you need to have the full support of your top management. If she changes, good for everyone (win-win). If she quits, everyone loses (lose-lose). But either way, the winner will always be the HR because you have managed to stop this particular problem from spreading to others and creating a ripple effect in the organization.

Cheers,
Navneet Chandra

Hi, I don't think personal problems come up daily. At the same time, this type of activity can affect other employees' habits. If you ask her what the problem is and she does not reply properly, then finally, you should proceed with documentation and give her a notice. Other things to consider may be her high-handed approach, but rules are rules.

I fully agree with Mr. Hameed and Mr. Naveen Chandra. An employee is 100% responsible for his activities, and such attitudes definitely don't go down well either with the management or with the peers. It sends out negative signals of weak HR. One must understand that personal problems should never creep into your professional life. If you cannot balance and you cannot change even after counseling, then it's high time the HR has to take action. Please terminate her with immediate effect so that everybody gets to know that nobody is indispensable, and inefficiency and indiscipline will not be tolerated.

All the best Sohini!!

Regards,
Vinayak

After listening to all, I think you should talk to her. Try to understand her problem and let her understand yours as a senior. Then, explain to her what could happen if this behavior persists. If she is genuine, she will quit doing this. If she continues to be rude, inform her that she may have to face further legal actions against her.