When Individual Personal Problems Interfere with Work
Finding the right way to deal with individuals' personal problems when they impact your business is always difficult, but it's all the more so when yours is a family business and you have a responsibility to those individuals on several levels. Unfortunately, problems like these do arise and they can have a profoundly negative impact on work, so it's essential that you be able to take practical steps to find a solution.
Good management in these situations can help cut down stress for all involved and avoid making the situation worse. In most cases you'll be able to work with the affected person to find a way forward that's good for everyone.
Temporary Problems
When one of your staff has a temporary problem, the emphasis should always be on finding a way to work around it and, as far as possible, go on with business as usual. If there are health issues involved or they're under a lot of stress, don't be hesitant about allowing them time off - you could end up losing a lot more business hours later on if they work too hard and end up developing ongoing problems as a result.Sometimes you may need to be firm and tell a conscientious employee that it would be better if they didn't come in for a couple of days. By working together with them you can establish which parts of their work need to be prioritised and what can reasonably be delegated to other people. If there are some things that depend on their personal presence you can work out the easiest way for them to fit those in around their other concerns.
Of course, you can't go out of your way for every employee who has personal problems. Some people are prone to exaggeration even though others may not admit anything's wrong until they're really struggling and their business performance is impaired. This is where the family nature of your business can come in useful. By talking to different family members you can establish the seriousness of personal problems in each instance and you can get an idea of how long they're likely to be an issue for.
Ongoing Health Problems
When an employee has ongoing personal problems which are medical in nature it can place a great strain on the business. At the worst, you'll need to pay them sickness benefit for six months before the government will reimburse you and take over. Obviously this is difficult for any small business and it's a situation in which business insurance can come in really useful. However in many cases people with personal problems of this type are still able to do some work some of the time, and there may be things which you can do as a business to make it easier for them.Start by talking to your employee about what they need. If they have a stress related problem then a quieter working environment, perhaps with more access to fresh air and sunlight, could make a big difference, and you may be able to relieve them of high pressure tasks. Other common problems can be alleviated somewhat with the provision of better quality office seating, with regular breaks for food or rest, or with a different shift pattern. By talking to their doctor your employee may be able to arrange for an occupational therapist to visit the business and make useful suggestions which neither of you would have thought of on your own.
Addictions
One of the most difficult problems for any small business is addiction. It can be very hard to cope in ordinary circumstances when a family member has an addiction. When that person is also a part of your business, you can't afford to ignore the problem - it's essential to acknowledge it and take action straight away.An addiction is never just a personal problem - it can quickly become a problem for everybody. As soon as you realise it's going on - even if the person involved does not acknowledge it - you must do whatever is necessary to make sure that person has no access to the business finances, because otherwise - sooner or later - the temptation to embezzle will grow too strong.
You should also aim to relieve that person of all tasks which involve dealing with other people - customers and business contacts - so they can't make the business look bad. Naturally you should keep them away from potentially dangerous machinery, but they may still be able to do some work if they are willing to look for treatment. Just don't let their personal problems suck the business down with them.
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