Terminated Employee Keeps Showing Up

jenhall

Last week I terminated an employee for continued poor performance. She had only been here a little over thirty days and all she did was walk the halls and socialize. A couple days after she started she developed a "relationship" with one of our purchasing guys. We do not have a policy against this as long as the employees are not in the same department or managers of each other. Now she keeps showing up at the office everyday to see him and again socializing with other office staff. Our handbook does not state that staff can't have visitors and others do bring family members in from time to time, but not everyday as this seems to be happening. Short of banning visitors alltogether, is there any other way to solve this problem? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

San Francisco

Tell your purchasing guy not to have his visitor visit so often? I assume it's disruptive or creating some sort of problem.

Elizabeth

mwild31

Talk to the employee that she is visiting & let him know that that constant visits from his friend are interupting staff & their operations. Ask him to reduce the number of visits & shorten their length. Also, since this seems to be happening during working hours - point out that he needs to ensure these visits occur within the scheduled breaks & perferably in a lunchroom.

blw

You can create a policy that employees who have been involuntarily terminated aren't allowed back into the building. Quite a few companies do this.

marc

If there is some reason you do not just tell the ex-ee to stop coming so frequently, then tell her ee boyfriend. By the way, doesn't everyone's work suffer because of this? I would think some performance based discipline should get the behavior in line. Whatever happened to common sense? You would think that every supervisor that has ees involved in this process would be wanting to tighten up this policy. Suggest a change that works for the company, not for the ees.

Don D

Do I get the impression that somebody just didn't like this chick? Thirty days, poor performer, no counseling or improvement plan or coaching? Walking the halls and no discipline? Was she particularly thin and attractive? Terminated and now showing up socializing? Are there some who are envious? Is her visitation outside the envelope and aren't others having visitors more frequently in fact? Are you leaving out some details or is my imagination working overtime?

jenhall

When her manager came to me with the problem, I suggested a verbal warning and some additional counseling since she was still in her 90 probationary period. His response was well what if she improves, we've still got this issue with her and the ee she started seeing. The end result was he wanted her gone stating she had done nothing for two days but walk the halls and socialize but he was not willing to discipline her because he hates confrontation. Yes, visits are disrupting the office and we do have other family members and/or friends visit from time to time but she has been here everyday this week. I just didn't know what to say to the current ee when there is no written policy on this and he can always throw it back in my face that others have visited. As far as jealousy goes the only thing I can think of for these guys to be jealous about was maybe she chose to date someone other one of them.

Whatever

How can you have a "good" manager who hates confrontation? And actually, it seems that management is also avoiding constructive criticism and counseling as well. While a warning can be confrontational, couseling should not be. Second, tell the terminated person that they have overstayed and abused the unique generosity of your company and therefore they are no longer welcome on the premises or better yet, just tell them that they are not to show up again on company premises (no explanation). Finally, look into management training courses in your area.

Pork

JENHALL:

Ok, it is time to take the "boar by the ear" and get this issue cleared up.

It is time to write and tell this X-employee she is no longer welcome on company property! Once spoken and once provided in written format it is legal to call the police and have the individual removed from the property and prosecuted for Trespassing. If the current ee male is not willing to remove the cancer, then the company must, in order to maintain a safe working environment. We terminated a transportation manager for poor performance, within the next week she was recruiting for a truck driver walk out with all of the drivers with whom she had personal and private relationships. After the letter and notice was provided, we did not see her on our property again, then we heard but did not see the actual person riding in our vehicle on his delivery run. With that we terminated her "sleep in friend" and sent him packing also and likewise gave him notice that he was no longer welcome on our property. UI hearings in both cases were denied and appealed but affirmed as a solid case.

REMEMBER we are running businesses and any conduct not supportive of our purpose is counter to our purpose. When we allow this kind of conduct to live within our ability to control, the results of any violent action from anybody makes the company liable for neglect under OSHA eyes. When we have the ability to act, and we do not, then we are in the wrong.

Surely, the boy friend is not worth any risk and has got to be the one to fix the issues and concerns or he can go too.

PORK

ritaanz

Are you hung up on being polite and exhibiting good manners? The next time the terminated employee appears on your door step, intercept her and ask her the purpose of her visit. Whatever the responce, it will probably have nothing to do with your company's business. Explain to her that fraternizing with her "friend/s" is disruptive and she should make arrangements to visit with him/them after working hours. Gently escort her to the door, all the while thanking her for her cooperation and understanding. If she becomes argumentative, quietly remind her that she is no longer an employee and is trespassing and the company will be forced to take legal action. Because staff's family members visit from time to time does NOT mean that anyone can come in to your company at any time.

jenhall

First I want to say thanks for all the responses. I've been away for a few days (death in my husband's family)so I have not been able to respond. I called the boyfriend employee in this morning and told him the visits during working hours would have to stop and become limited to lunch only. I was told this morning she was here every day for the past three days. I explained how disruptive her visits were and he assured me that the visits would stop. I wouldn't say I was trying to be "polite", I just wanted to make sure I was being fair. Thanks again.

Pork

JENHALL:You were more than fair to the girl-friend and the ee. Glad to read that you have confronted the players and I'm sure, God willing there are better days ahead, you and your personal needs included. May you and yours have a blessed day, week, and future.

PORK