How To Best Deal With A Disgruntled Former Employee

Every company has dealt with bad employees at some point. While they may have started brightly, numerous factors can impact their work, which means you need to let them go. Most of the time, there are no problems with this, and they p[ack their things and leave. However, sometimes, these employees feel hard done by. They feel specifically targeted, and this means they struggle to let it go. Because of this, they start harassing your office and staff even though they have no business contacting you. So, what can you do? 

Forget About It 

The first step you need to take when dealing with an angry former employee is to simply forget about it. Right now, they are craving attention and are desperate to get a reaction out of you.

You mustn’t give them the attention they need. Most of the time, they are still emotional following their dismissal. But, these emotions will subside if you refuse to entertain their behavior. For the majority of angry ex-employees, ignoring them is the best approach, and it can help the problem solve itself without anything else required. 

Protect Your Staff 

One of your top priorities should be keeping your company secure and your employees safe. Hopefully, the situation never escalates to the point where anyone feels in danger. But, you can never be too careful. If the ex-employee continues to visit your offices and try to engage with current staff members, there is a risk that they might take out their frustrations on them.

You must protect your staff, advise them to ignore it, and report any incidents to the authorities. 

Write Everything Down 

Once you realize that your former employee is causing problems, you must write everything down, no matter how insignificant it might seem. Writing down incidents will make it easier to remember the final details, which can help your case should the situation need to go any further.

You might think that you’ll be able to remember what happened clearly, but your brain can invent scenarios, or you might forget the context behind events. If you have a log of everything that happens, you will have a stronger case in the future. 

Take Legal Action (When Necessary) 

Hopefully, you never need to take severe legal action. But, if the harassment continues long after the dismissal, you may not have any choice.

Taking legal action can be scary, and you will also think that you are overreacting. However, you must do this if you want anything to change. The police can help you, whereas the likes of AZ Quick Serve can provide a straightforward and efficient service that takes the hassle and stress out of doing it yourself. If you still feel intimidated, this is undoubtedly the best approach.  

Moving On 

Disgruntled former employees can range from an inconvenient nuisance to downright dangerous. Therefore, you must know the best ways to deal with them to protect your business, your employees and customers, and yourself. By knowing how to cope with disgruntled former employees, you put yourself in a fantastic position.