Can we stop employees from having direct contact?

suki1964

Well whatever the outcome, you also need to look at your role in all this as well

Seems like you have been running an "all boys together" envoirment and as you have seen in the news this past year, they are a NO NO

undercoverirish

I’m sorry to hear that @boris and I hope you got it sorted. I would never want it to seem as if all men club together in this place.

suki1964

undercoverirish wrote: »

I’m sorry to hear that @boris and I hope you got it sorted. I would never want it to seem as if all men club together in this place.

Rather like shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted wouldn't you think?

TELLIT01

As this thread has grown so rapidly I haven't read the total content so apologies if I'm repeating what has already been said. My suggestion would be-
1. Tell ALL employees that only the approved in-house comms system is to be used for communication during work time, and it is only to be used for work related purposes.
2. Tell ALL employees that the in-house system must not be used outside working hours.
3. Tell ALL employees that failure to comply with the above will be classed as misconduct and may result in disciplinary action being taken.
4. Advise ALL employees against discussing workplace issues on any form of social media.

That should greatly restrict the ability of anyone to message directly in work time. You will have great difficulty in enforcing any form of control on what people do by way of messaging in their own time.

undercoverirish

I agree to an extent. I can see how it might be perceived as that but that!!!8217;s not how I ever wanted it to seem and I didn!!!8217;t think it seemed that way until the last hour.

It!!!8217;s easy to get caught up in our own little bubble sometimes.

And the lads are all close, so naturally they do group together and perhaps they have been shutting her out a bit and I don!!!8217;t notice....

BorisThomson

TELLIT01 wrote: »

As this thread has grown so rapidly I haven't read the total content so apologies if I'm repeating what has already been said. My suggestion would be-
1. Tell ALL employees that only the approved in-house comms system is to be used for communication during work time, and it is only to be used for work related purposes.
2. Tell ALL employees that the in-house system must not be used outside working hours.
3. Tell ALL employees that failure to comply with the above will be classed as misconduct and may result in disciplinary action being taken.
4. Advise ALL employees against discussing workplace issues on any form of social media.

That should greatly restrict the ability of anyone to message directly in work time. You will have great difficulty in enforcing any form of control on what people do by way of messaging in their own time.

All far too late for what has happened!

undercoverirish

We already issued the girl with disciplinary action that she had to cease contacting her colleagues directly unless they invited her to do so. But we are working on rectifying it.

I wasn!!!8217;t in possession of the full facts and made many many assumptions it would seem. And I shouldn!!!8217;t have.

I!!!8217;m hoping we will get this sorted as I would like to keep her on the team and make sure she feels part of it.

BorisThomson

undercoverirish wrote: »

I agree to an extent. I can see how it might be perceived as that but that!!!8217;s not how I ever wanted it to seem and I didn!!!8217;t think it seemed that way until the last hour.

It!!!8217;s easy to get caught up in our own little bubble sometimes.

And the lads are all close, so naturally they do group together and perhaps they have been shutting her out a bit and I don!!!8217;t notice....

They're not "the lads", they're your employees.

Grouping together, to the exclusion of one worker, is a form of bullying.

This is not some social club, it's a workplace.

Your intentions are good, I've no doubt about that, but you've blurred the line between employer and employee. You need to build up some distance between yourself and your employees.

undercoverirish

And I see your point but how can I stop the guys all being friendly with one another? It!!!8217;s impossible to do so.

I obviously don!!!8217;t wish for one of the team to be excluded but if the guys want to sit and chat about their personal lives to each other and what not, I can!!!8217;t make them include her if they!!!8217;re talking about matter inappropriate for her or that might offend her.

fairy_lights

undercoverirish wrote: »

And the lads are all close, so naturally they do group together and perhaps they have been shutting her out a bit and I don!!!8217;t notice....

Even by referring to them as 'lads' rather than 'male employees' it sounds like your justifying their behaviour in a boys will be boys/it's only banter kind of way.