How to Handle a Complaint From an Employee About a Manager
Complaints about managers from employees are common and often center on issues of personality conflict or different working styles. However, when an employees makes an official complaint about a management employee, you need to look into the matter further. Doing so ensures that the employee's complaint is addressed, while giving the manager at the heart of the issue his due diligence.
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Instructions
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Get a full accounting from the employee on specifics of the issue surrounding the complaint. Ask for dates, times and details specific to the manager in question in the complaint. Explain that although you intend to investigate, you recognize the employee is upset and plan to try to address the situation from all sides of the complaint. This lets her know that you value her feelings on the issue but that you don't assume the manager in question is the guilty party.
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Talk to the manager and get his side of the story. Be prepared: His version may be completely different from that of the employee's. Get the details and also explain to the manager that you're working to resolve the tension surrounding the issue. Unless he validates the employee's complaint, don't assume either side is guilty.
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Mediate the matter between employee and manager if the issue isn't serious. For example, if the matter is simply a difference in personalities or working styles, finding new solutions for working together might be the key. Perhaps the employee working with you instead of the other manager, or a reassignment of job tasks that ensures the two work separately might be the solution you are seeking.
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Take the issue up with your human resources representative if it's a serious complaint, particularly if the employee's rights may have been violated. Your HR manager will advise you of the company's process on addressing these types of complaints. More than likely, HR will take over investigating the complaint, so be prepared to turn over any documentation and notes you have regarding the investigating you've conducted thus far.
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