This situation must be handled with care. You have a lot to consider when dealing with a hostile work environment, not the least of which is how a member will react when confronted. You must arm yourself with the guidelines of your company, and expect that person to become irate when confronted, the same as they have done to cause this counseling.
I would begin by allowing my supervisor to know about the complaints, allow him/her to review the information gathered from other employees, and ensure that management has buy-in to my reasons for counseling. This is important to ensure that the employee has less action for recourse if they choose to do so.
Secondly, documentation would be important. First, you should make note of actual situations you have witnessed, and ensure that you counsel the member on the spot for those infractions, though privately. This ensures you have actual first-hand accounts you will be able to present if needed or if questioned by the employee in formal counseling.
The process of confronting the employee should be done in private. It would be best to create a comfortable atmosphere, and it is important that it be done in private, such as an office or a closed public area like a break room. This would allow for the member to vent their feelings and their side of the story without others in the immediate area overhearing, and could give you some insight as to the behavior.
In many cases, being frank and to the point is often the best way to handle a counseling session. However, with difficult employees, this can be more confrontational. You should approach them by stating why you are meeting with them, but find more reasoning behind their behavior. This gives them an ‘out’ and will allow the counseling to move along at their pace, so that putting the employee into a defensive mode is avoided.
After the employee is led through the conversation on why they have exhibited that behavior, it is time to lead them into a mutual acknowledgement that the behavior is unacceptable. In almost every occasion, you can use the documentation from above, along with the information you have gathered over time to have the employee agree that they were wrong, and that the behavior they have exhibited is not appropriate for the work environment. This is the time to remind them of your on-the-spot corrections of the exhibitions.
Finally, decide the path of recourse with the employee. Inform them of future steps, and allow the member to help develop the plan with you. Value their input, and they will see that you have a vested interest in maintaining their employment, and will be more willing to correct their behavior. You must be fair with them, and treat them the same as you do every employee in the same situation. However, establishing that this documented counseling is a step towards their dismissal and making clear goals for them to follow in future instances. Make it very clear, however, that future complaints will lead to a written counseling, and eventually termination.
Predocumentation is important in these cases. Ensuring that all employees know the level of service and camaraderie that is expected of them through solid company policy will be important to avoid wrongful termination claims, or claims of emotional distress against you as a manager.
