How Should I Handle a Miscommunication with an Employee Escalating to Management?

Hi all,

I work as an HR Manager for a travel company. Now, our employees were proposing alternate Saturdays off. Hence, I wrote an email to all, stating that we should prove ourselves by honoring the office policy pertaining to attendance and so on. In the P.S., I mentioned the Team Leader of a team, hoping everything is clear. It was done with the intention of clarifying the matter and not directed towards her.

She felt offended, and I have clarified the situation in writing to her, explaining that it was not intended that way (as she tends to question all my emails). This situation makes me feel incompetent in conveying the right message. However, in a fit of anger, she escalated the issue to the GM and demanded a written apology. She has now also approached the MD. This is very disturbing as I had tried to resolve the matter.

At times, I feel like quitting, but that would make me appear as a loser, and the company would require HR support during the busy season. I do not want to abandon my responsibilities.

I don't mind speaking to her; I have tried, but now she is displaying an attitude. Even I have an ego.

Please help me figure out how to resolve this. This is the first time I have been involved in such an issue. Otherwise, my employees and employer are very satisfied with my work.

Please respond as soon as possible.

Dear friend,

I appreciate the effort you put into your work. Allow her the opportunity to express herself and release her emotions. Resilience and maintaining composure are crucial at this time. If you are confident in your response, there is no need to fret. Perhaps your friend is seeking comfort by seeking advice from various sources. She will likely return to normalcy once she realizes the support from her superiors. Instead of directly engaging with her, consider discussing the matter with the higher-ups to clarify your stance and resolve the issue.

Hi Jhuma,

Ignore her/him. There are fault-finders always. Just talk to your boss and highlight the issue. Don't apologize. Running away from issues is not the solution to any problem.

Dear Jhuma Tiwade,

I have read your post. Every HR professional faces problems of this kind. That is why HR is a thankless job. You have done your job. However, now you should also approach the GM and MD to clear any misgivings from your side.

By the way, when you sent the email to all, did you consult the GM or MD? The change of working hours is a decision that is taken at the highest level. Lastly, have you set goals for every employee? Is their work measured on KRAs? If their work is measured on KRAs, then the working hours become irrelevant. Employees start putting in extra working hours on their own.

Ok...

Dinesh V Divekar
Management & Behavioral Training Consultant

"Limit of your words is the limit of your world"

Thank you all.

@ Dinesh - It had nothing to do with the time change. It was basically a request that employees were pushing, and this lady got herself involved.

@ Anupam - I was a bit disturbed, but with the HR team on my side, I am feeling confident.

Hi, dear all,

If my junior staff got a salary increment not considered for me, and we are doing the same work, and his performance is not better than mine, what should I do in this situation?

Regards,
Ktmkutty

Hi Jhuma,

There is no need to get upset. Explain to your higher-ups the actual meaning of the words. It is their support that will dilute the objections raised by one of the employees. HR brings sanity among all and provides guidance for the smooth functioning of any company. This should be well understood by everyone.

Regards,
Prithvi Pal

Hi Jhuma,

Your colleague is surely a very insecure person, and you should just take it easy and ignore her. If your bosses ask you for an explanation, then only narrate the incident, but don't criticize your colleague. All the best.

Subodh D
Mumbai

Hi Jhuma,

I think you have just done your job. If your colleague is this sensitive, then avoid any direct references in the future. I had a similar colleague, and she would always resort to 'nautanki' to gain sympathy or support. This was a tactic to divert focus so that her shortcomings went unnoticed. While one of the bosses saw through her, the other was swept off his feet. Nothing new for us. So, realize the psyche of your colleagues before any kind of communication. Even when you are right, they may not think so.

Don't worry, this is a small issue. Your bosses know your working style, so be rest assured everything will be fine.

Ms. Jhuma,

You are confusing and contradicting.

You have mentioned that, employees were requesting alternate Saturdays Offs. This clearly means change in present weekly off schedule. Obviously if at all this request is to be considered, it needs to go to your higher ups. In case you felt like not taking it up to your higher ups, then you should have informed the employees in a plain and simple words that, ‘considering very nature of our business and our stress on quality customer service, we can not keep our office closed on Saturdays, hence your request for Offs on Saturdays can not be considered'.
Whereas your email suggested that, employees are not honoring company policies. Moreover by specifically writing postscript to Team Leader you seem to have suggested that, she and employees in her team in particular are not honoring company policies. Your intensions may be different but your communication seems to be conveying something.

Please always remember any communication going to employees from HR Dept. should be to the point and precise and should never show any bias to anybody. Always draft, refine and refine again and again and then only click on ‘send'.

Anyways you can also approach GM and MD to put your side before them. This kind of things do happen in group environment and you should learn something from each such incidence.

Thanks & Regards

I think you are getting oversensitive on this issue. There should not be a feeling of competition between you and the employee. You have to act in a mature fashion. If you feel the way you have expressed, you have given a winning edge to the employee.

There are dynamics in the organization that have to be understood, and the success of an HR person is not getting into any controversy. At the end of the day, certain decisions are taken by the top management. At times, employees are abusive due to frustration, and one has to wait for them to calm down. The behavior of an HR person has to be proactive and not reactive.

I appreciate the advice given by Dinesh and Subodh. Whenever we do anything (make a decision), it should be justified, or rather, we should be able to justify the action.

All the best.

Reena

Hi Jhuma,

I completely agree with what Radha Ramanathan has suggested. Instead of feeling guilt, keep your concentration on your work with confidence and full zeal. She seems to be mentally disturbed with carrying her unwanted attitude in the workplace.

Let me tell you, there's a difference between ego and self-respect. One should keep his or her ego in control but not compromise on self-esteem. I hope you understand what I mean... Plus, if your top vertical is mature enough (they are supposed to be), they would assess the situation with their perspective without giving ear to her venom. A true boss is the person who knows, sitting in his or her seat, what the farthest employee is doing...

Regards,

J.S. Nadar
Asst. Manager HR
Nuberg Engg. Ltd.
+91 9313490613

Interesting topic…!!!


It is not new thing for any office or industry.

But the point is, it seems not simple as defined. As Jhuma said the Lady went up to GM and MD and also asking for written apologies. If simply jhuma not accepted of their staff request of Saturday off, nobody even have chance of doing anger and “nautanki” kind of thing. That is not convincing me. Because you know for doing such a bigger level of “nautanki” or ego drama you have a good strong point against any body. So jhuma, please think exactly that major point, which has disturbed her ego and make point against you.

After evaluating the same, you have resistance fact that such types of decisions are not governed by only HR person. So don't worries about your decision, what best you can do is, make a forwarding information note that such type of proposal came from staff.
Please write in note only about the suggestion or demand, not about the war going on.
During the presenting the note / letter to GM & MDs you can politely discuss about the lady and her attitude. Polite reaction and humble personality definitely wins against any anger personality or nautanki.

All d best.

Dear friend,

I do agree with all the fellow members. Just ignore her and continue your work. You are not accountable to her, and if management seeks an explanation, provide them with one. Don't worry, continue doing the good work.

Regards, Chander Mohan Mohla