One of the most challenging jobs as a manager is having to handle employee complaints and confrontations. Gathering the right information while managing the emotions of each person involved without causing the issue to escalate can be a difficult plate to juggle. Here are a few tips on how to best handle employee complaints in the workplace.

Get ALL The Facts

Complaints can come in many shapes and sizes. Some are small issues that can be easily addressed, while others seem to build into more destructive problems. Before taking action, take some time to get all the facts. First, start with asking the complaining employee what action they are wanting to take. If they simply need a venting session with a few tips on how to address the issues themselves, then the action will be very different than if the employee wants to file an official complaint against another. If an official complaint is filed, it is important to get both sides of the story. When investigating complaints of one employee from co-workers, remember to look at the entire picture and keep an open mind. The employee getting the complaints may have the best point of view.

For example: Once I had several employees complain that a co-worker was constantly coming back from lunch 15-20 minutes late, causing the rest of them to either pick up the slack or get less of a lunch time. When I asked the accused employee about the situation, I found out that she wasn’t taking extra time but rather being held late due to her manager asking for extra help. She had no idea it was affecting the other co-workers. A simple talk with her manager about keeping her schedule fixed the situation without any corrective actions needing to take place.

Be Active in Addressing Issues

One thing you absolutely do not want to do is procrastinate dealing with a complaint or an issue amongst employees. Even if the issue seems minor it is major to the complaining employee, otherwise they would have never taken time to speak to you. Something that starts out as a minor complaint can very quickly escalate into a full blown confrontation without warning.

If employees do not feel as though the are being heard or that their complaint is being taken seriously, they may try to take matters into their own hands. In order to avoid a bad situation getting worse, it is important to remain active when addressing issues. Make sure you are gathering information immediately so you can best assess the situation in a timely manner. If you are able to resolve issues quickly then employees you will be able to build trust with your employees because they will know they can come to you and things will get done.

Get Everyone in the Same Room

If there is an ongoing issue among employees or something that is affecting flow or attitude of the workplace then all parties need to be involved in the resolution. Creating a safe space where everyone involved is in attendance will allow issues to be handled head on. Being in the same room to address an issue face to face also allows the truth surface, as many co-workers will be less likely to lie or omit information when having to face their co-workers directly. Take the time to let everyone speak while mediating to keep the environment peaceful and progressive.

It is human nature to have conflict so as a manager it will be impossible to avoid completely. Keeping these tips in mind when dealing with employee complaints will help to resolve issues quickly and peacefully.