How Can You Help an Employee with Personal Problems?

No employer wants their employees to bring their personal problems to work. However, the reality is that people have lives outside of work, and it can be difficult to completely separate what's happening at home from work. Not everyone is able to switch off thoughts of their home life while working, especially when they have a significant problem that they're struggling with. When you have an employee who appears to be struggling, you can do more than simply tell them to leave their problems at home. Have a look at some of the things that you can do to help.

Check If the Issue Is Related to Work

To begin with, make sure that there aren't any work-related issues that you can help to resolve. Even if the main problem is not one related to work, something at work could be exacerbating other issues that your employee is dealing with. You might not be able to do a lot to help with what they're dealing with outside of work, but you can take steps to ensure they're not dealing with anything that you can control. Speak to your employee to find out whether there are any problems you can correct. Connect them with HR or the appropriate person if they would like to speak to someone else.

Provide Legal Assistance

Is your employee dealing with a legal problem? Some companies are able to provide legal support for their employees, and it doesn't have to be for an issue relating to work. You might help a valued employee with legal issues so that they can concentrate on work, and perhaps even so they can keep their job. A criminal law firm such as Takakjian & Sitkoff, LLP can help out with problems such as DUI charges. This kind of charge could affect your employee's ability to get to work or even do their job.

Offer Financial Advice

Money troubles can weigh on people, and it can be difficult to leave them behind when at work. Some employers might be able to extend emergency funds or advanced pay to employees struggling with money, but there are also more long-term solutions that you can help with. An offer of financial counseling or advice can be very helpful, giving employees the tools that they need to create a more long-term plan to help them with any financial problems that they might be having.

Be Compassionate

Often, there is nothing that you can do to solve a personal problem that an employee is dealing with. However, there are still things that you can do to help and make things easier for them. A little bit of compassion can go a long way, and you can do things such as allowing your employee to work flexible hours or take time off when necessary. Simply telling your employee to leave their problems at home won't suddenly make them more productive at work.

You might not be able to fix your employees' problems, but you can help them. By providing them with a little assistance, they can concentrate on their work.