So… We Need to Talk. How to Handle Questionable Employee Behavior

Nobody ever warns you about how unhinged employee behavior can be. Most people are lovely to work with. They come in, do their jobs, and go home. But a few of them are really… something. You never really expect to have conversations this personal with your employees, but when it starts impacting practice standards or patient perceptions, you have to. If you’re dealing with some impressively unprofessional employee behavior, you’re not alone. We’ll break down some real questions we hear from practice owners using HR for Health, then show you how to have tactful conversations and use consistent policies to prevent this kind of thing from happening in the first place.

Unprofessional Employee Behavior You Wouldn’t Think Needed to Be in the Handbook

When you’re building out your employee handbook, you’re probably thinking about all the laws you need to comply with, how your employees accrue and use their benefits, and details about leave. But maybe you need to write a couple policies that account for some “I thought this was a given” situations, too.

Iron Out Your Dress Code

Not all practices ask their employees to wear scrubs, but if you don’t outline at least a little bit of a dress code, they could show up wearing just about anything. Maybe they wear the right clothes, but you don’t like your assistant’s offensive knuckle tattoos. One of your nurses may have so many piercings, you’re glad you don’t have an MRI machine. When it becomes a distraction, it’s time for a conversation.

Policy-wise, the key is consistency and safety. Tattoos and piercings are common, so an outright ban isn’t going to be feasible. Some attire and body modification may have cultural or religious significance, too. Appearance policies that are consistent, set reasonable expectations, and are not discriminatory are generally okay. In some cases, it may be appropriate to ask employees to go home and change, remove excessive jewelry, choose a more appropriate hair color, or cover up exposed tattoos that may be distracting. Dress code can also include the use of wired vs. in-ear headphones. It’s a good idea to specify this kind of thing early on.

Try saying, “I want to make sure we’re all on the same page about our appearance standards. Let’s review the dress code policy about what tattoos, piercings, and clothing is appropriate in patient-facing areas.”

Clean Up Odor and Hygiene Issues

This kind of unprofessional employee behavior gets avoided the longest because most leadership hope it was just one bad day. At the same time, it’s also one of the most noticeable issues. Can you just imagine the irony of a hygienist who doesn’t brush their teeth? Excessive perfume is just as disruptive, and it can trigger allergies in some people.

That’s the best way to approach this conversation. Powerful scents (of any kind) are distracting, so a scent-neutral policy is much more defensible than a ban on BO. It should simply state that employees are expected to maintain personal hygiene standards and avoid strong scents. It may be tempting to send aromatic employees home to take a shower, but tread carefully. Body odor can be a medical issue. Unbrushed teeth can be a sign of extreme stress and burnout. Approach this one with kindness, but be direct. You might want to give a refresher quarterly or semi-annually, especially as we head into the summer months. 

Try saying, “I want to approach this conversation respectfully, but it’s something that could be distracting to patients or other members of the team. We have a scent-neutral policy, and I’d like to address it now before it becomes a bigger issue.”

Brighten Up Rotten Attitudes and Bad Vibes

This one is the hardest to address because there’s no clear rule being broken, but it happens all the time. Some employees walk into work with a scowl on their face everyday, and that kind of attitude spreads. Everyone has bad days, but when employees are habitually snappy, cliquish, or dismissive toward patients and coworkers, it destroys retention and employee motivation amazingly fast.

For this type of unprofessional employee behavior, you can’t write a policy requiring daily niceness. Instead, document patterns of problematic behavior before starting the conversation. That kind of documentation needs to be specific and relevant to your practice. Connecting it to patient experience or team function makes it a business conversation and not a parent-like “I don’t appreciate your attitude” scolding. Above all, make sure you don’t get heated yourself. Keep it professional and focused on the behavior’s impact. Then, set problem-solving goals. Some of these attitude issues could stem from something you can fix. 

Try saying, “I’ve noticed some tension lately and I wanted to check in. Specifically, I’ve observed [X behavior] a few times, and it’s affecting the team. Patients are starting to notice too, so I’d like to hear your perspective.”

How to Handle Situations That Make You Go Hmm

Sometimes, you really can’t predict the kinds of unprofessional employee behavior that crops up. Who could have guessed your receptionist would try pitching their MLM to everyone who walked through the door? A veterinary assistant who expresses loud political opinions with patients is going to cause a disruption. Personalized workspaces are great, but when someone brings in way too many houseplants, you have to start wondering when their desk will start attracting insects.

These surprising situations are hard to prepare for, but if you lean on policies that maintain a good practice environment according to your code of conduct, the conversation will be much smoother. A no-solicitation policy blocks ad-hoc sales, workspace cleanliness rules help prevent excessive wildlife, and a general statement about making your practice a welcoming environment can get ahead of political or divisive topics. If patients want to talk about it, that’s their business, but your employees should keep themselves to themselves. Or at least keep it to the break room. 

Try saying, “I want to address keeping [X behavior] separate from the workplace. It’s not a reflection on you personally, but it does affect the environment we’re creating for our patients.”

Don’t Like Confrontation? Set Clearer Policies

The possibilities of unprofessional employee behavior are endless but there’s one thing that’s always true: winging it makes it worse. You can’t write a policy for every possible situation or behavior, but the all-encompassing policies you create with an HR for Health handbook are a good place to start. When you’re a leader, you have to approach these sorts of things with care. Thankfully, you can always lean on a great set of practice policies. As long as those policies aren’t too risky and created with your practice’s success in mind, you’ll be ready for anything. 

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