How to Handle a Disruptive Team Member Who's Close to the Boss? Seeking Advice!

Hello, I have been working as an HR Executive in a software company. Our company is newly started. Before my joining, the company only had 6 employees, all of whom are relatives or friends of our company founder. I have one team member who handles admin-related work. He is a fresher and junior, and also happens to be the cousin of the founder. At the time of my joining, my interviewer (Director) mentioned that I would need to oversee the work of the admin person. I agreed. However, my issue now is that the admin person is creating trivial problems, complaining to the director and other employees. I have been ignoring many things about him, but he consistently disrupts HR work. Whenever I discuss office rules with employees, he interferes, speaking in an arrogant manner. He and other employees (his brother and friends) often quarrel on the office premises. I expect him to show more maturity in the work environment, communication style, and to control his childish behavior.

Kindly provide suggestions on how to address this situation.

You are associated with a family-owned business organization, I presume! It will always be tough for you to be in such an environment. To be very precise, you must be expecting family members to be professional at work. My advice is that if you are not happy and unable to control situations and feeling embarrassed, look out for some good opportunities elsewhere in the industry.

You have the potential and competency to win, so be the master and not the slave.

Thanks,
Bijay

You mentioned the new member is a fresher, so he must be behaving this way due to a lack of knowledge and experience in following office culture. Furthermore, as he is a family member, he may always feel superior and unchallenged.

But it doesn't matter. Sit with him and help him understand your role in maintaining office decorum and appropriate behavior. Stay cool, calm, and assertive. Avoid blaming him directly or pointing out mistakes immediately; instead, focus on the situations. If this approach works, great! If not, consider looking for other opportunities. However, you will encounter such individuals almost everywhere, so face the situation and concentrate on your work if you are truly passionate about it.

Hope this advice helps!

Best regards,
Vaishalee Parkhi

Thank you for the suggestion. I have discussed it with him many times, but he never takes it seriously. Our company is new, and I am expecting this behavior because we want to maintain a good culture in our office.