About ‘How to Get Top Marks in … Managing Poor Work Performance
In How to Get Top Marks in … Managing Poor Work Performance, Kate Russell guides the employer through the legal framework, discusses the correct way to manage poor work performance and offers practical guidance and HR Headmistress tactics to make the process straightforward, effective and painless.
Poor work performance is the subject of complaint far more often than misconduct, but it’s far less well-managed. Many inexperienced managers ignore it or say somewhat regrettable things like:
“Why are you so lazy?”
“Why are your widgets always wonky?”
“Your cupcakes are the worst in the department”
Such remarks do not constitute effective management of the problem. In legal terms, work performance is also known as ‘capability’, which refers to an employee’s skills, ability, aptitude and knowledge in relation to the job that he is employed to do. Where an employee falls short of the standards, the employer is required to follow a clearly prescribed process to correct the employee, give him a real and reasonable opportunity to reach the standards, and to follow a formal procedure where he does not. If the employee fails to do so, the employer either has to tolerate the poor performance (which might mean he ends up doing the work, or annoying other more competent employees) or be exposed to the risk of unfair dismissal or constructive unfair dismissal claims.
How to Get Top Marks in … Managing Poor Work Performance explains the legal process in easily understood terms.
Prevention is better than cure and one part of the book is dedicated to staying out of trouble. The reader learns about the importance of setting and communicating standards, regular feedback and giving prompt correction where needed.
In addition to the exchanges that take place during the working day, employers are encouraged to meet with employees regularly to discuss how things are going and to give and receive feedback informally. Such meetings can be very helpful in nipping problems in the bud.
If the employee falls below the required standard, the employer is advised to take early action. The first steps will be informal. To take the fear out of the process, cases, examples, checklists and templates are provided to give the reader a range of useful prompts.
If there is still no improvement, or improvement is not sufficient, the reader is guided to escalate to the formal process.
Employee defensiveness in the face of quite mild corrective coaching is very common now. A manager may find himself the subject of a grievance citing bullying and harassment, simply because he is trying to do his job. In the face of this type of behaviour (or in anticipation of it), many managers simply let the whole thing go hang. How to Get Top Marks in … Managing Poor Work Performance identifies a number of practical ways to tackle these claims.
Publication Date: 30th September 2010
£5-00 (+P&P)
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