Top Tips for Employers to Deal with Workplace Anger
Anger in the workplace is a serious issue in Australian businesses. There can be a fine line between someone being angry and showing strong emotions, and someone potentially causing harm to another person. Any problem that affects other employees, customers, clients or your company’s productivity cannot be ignored. Employers are responsible for providing a safe work environment, influencing the behaviours of employees and teaching them how to respond if they encounter belligerence in the workplace. At Psylegal, we are experts in anger management counselling and are highly experienced in helping employers and managers deal with workplace anger through our group anger management courses. A workplace should not be controlled by angry and aggressive employees. If you’re an employer, it’s your responsibility to protect your staff from threatening behaviour and keep the workplace running in a professional manner.
What Are the Main Causes of Anger in the Workplace?
Some employees bring problems with them to work. An employee may be simmering with anger, ready to explode at the slightest provocation, while other employees may be disgruntled with management or their workload. There are many reasons an employee may be angry including:
- General harassment
- Unreasonable demands
- Perceptions of favouritism
- Depersonalized workplace environment
- Lack of resources for the employee to meet his/her objectives
- Inadequate training
- Lack of teamwork
- Betrayal of trust extended to manager or owner
- Downsizing
- Lack of flexibility on part of owner or manager
- Poor communication
Anger can also be triggered by medical conditions, which makes managing it more sensitive. If you are noticing a growing trend of anger amongst employees, it’s important to take a step back and objectively look at the overall business culture, and recognise if any of the above concerns are the reason for heightened tension and anger.
Tips for Managing Anger in the Workplace
If you, the employer, see the warning signs you need to address them quickly. Anger management is an issue that must be dealt with carefully but there are a few things you can do to manage anger in the office and create a safer and more productive workplace.
Create a Professional Culture
Your aim should be to create a culture that encourages employees to communicate and interact with each other in a professional and respectful manner. Invest time and energy into teaching staff the correct way of interacting and communicating in the workplace including training on professional communication, conflict resolution and negotiation skills.
Set a Good Example
Good behaviour starts at the top and filters down from management and people in senior positions. If senior team members let their temper control them, then everyone else in the team will do the same. Leaders should be composed, respectful and lead by example, showing everyone what professional behaviour looks like.
Confront Inappropriate Behaviour Quickly
Don’t ignore a conflict situation because you think it is a one-time event. Nipping angry or threatening behaviour in the bud is critical and must be done quickly to demonstrate the organization’s commitment to creating a safe workplace.
Have A Zero Tolerance Policy
There is no excuse and no exception for one employee to be aggressive towards another.
A zero tolerance policy should be communicated through the employee orientation process, allowing you to quickly terminate the relationship and remove the employee from the organization in the event of inappropriate or threatening behaviour.
Don’t Try to Fix the Person
Your primary aim is not to change an employee’s mindset, but rather to ensure that the employee does not engage in offensive behaviour in his or her interactions with co-workers or customers. You can’t change the person, but you can try to change their behaviour.
What Happens When the Employer is Angry?
Business owners, leaders and managers should also be aware of the challenges of managing their own anger in the workplace. Leadership brings a host of responsibilities and pressures that can make it difficult for them to manage strong emotions such as anger but it is important for managers to handle their anger in an effective manner. The key is to express anger professionally and as calmly as possible. Employers and leaders should understand their own anger triggers, as well as those of their employees and practice effective techniques to calm down and manage potential problematic situations before they escalate. As stated earlier, it’s important that business owners and managers set a good example of what professional behaviour looks like.
Employees come to work with the expectation of a safe work environment that is free from hostility. It is management’s responsibility to create the culture, set the expectation and provide the training for appropriate interactions in the workplace. Loss of productivity, increased absenteeism, abuse of sick leave, high employee turnover and poor morale are all problems that can arise from workplace anger so it’s important to get on top it if quickly.
At Psylegal, our anger management counselling focuses on understanding and managing anger and controlling symptoms of rage, along with teaching appropriate methods for expressing anger in a controlled way. Contact us on 1300 792 209 today and book an appointment with one of our Melbourne psychologists highly experienced in anger management counselling.
