(edit title) Inappropriate behaviour in the office. Employees horsing around Options

[dave.smith]

So last year we employed two younger developers, and while their performance has generally been ok, their conduct in the office has been terrible... The other companies that share our building have complained about "laughing too loudly" and "too much noise", mainly from chair races and very aggressive foosball.

Then last week one of our older employees took his ipad into the toilet, and the two young ones followed him and took a video on one of their phones... Of the ipad employee doing something dodgy. It was a complete uproar and I am beginning to lose my grip on sanity.

What makes it worse is that I have not slept properly for months because of our new baby and although this situation would be difficult to deal with under normal circumstances, it is just impossible now. What should I do? Any suggestions would be welcome

[Ambre]

well they have to behave appropriately at work, if they dont and complaints are made about them, you should start by having a chat with them to explain the situation and everything that you do not tolerate and that they are doing and give them a first written warning...if it doesnt improve after that, you can give them 2 further written warnings before to sack them...

[johnjohn]

Make them wash and wax your new car.

[Andrey Kiselev]

Did you talk to them?

[skogsbo]

The ipad palm shuffler needs a warning too! Whilst its nice be the good boss, a good boss sometimes has to be firm, better to be harsh now and nip it in the bud. Look even slightly tolerant or weak and they'll walk all over you. Re-arrange the office to split them up or re-assign work. Only trouble makers like a weak lame boss.

[Puffin]

So you are the management/boss Dave - so what have you done so far to deal with the situation?

Have you had a friendly chat that their behaviour is unacceptable?

Have you issued warnings etc?

I can be a problem when manangement just let these situations glide - staff start to feel the bahviour is condoned - I knew a situation in the UK where a situation of horesplay was left to drift and the boss eventually found himself in court - ended up with a big fine and a 2 year suspended sentence

[byke]

In school, don't children often misbehave and look to cheer themselves up with horsing around because the class or general conditions are terrible?

What are your working conditions like?

[dave.smith]

Thanks for the replies, guys...

I chatted to them, but not for long... I left it saying we needed to have a longer chat about it this week.

Ambre - I don't want to sack them. I need them, programmers are in short supply no matter what the naysayers think.

[byke]

Are they creative programmers or just hard coders?

[dave.smith]

Puffin - I hear what you are saying and that scares me, a lot. The thing is, although I have had problems with Swedes before, these two are the first hooligans I have had to deal with. Usually they are ok if I am in the office, the complaints generally come through when I am not there, which admittedly is often.

But I have witnessed the chair races and aggressive foosball first hand.

The fact that they are now bullying one of my longest employed staff is also shocking.

Byke - conditions would be considered good by most reasonable people. We have a work TV, foosball table and a general chill area. The work environment is generally relaxed and not too strictly controlled.

The only contentious issue is the ticket system - there is a big difference between the speed I want them resolved and the time it actually takes.

[Andrey Kiselev]

I would suggest to give them a more interesting work, if possible. Give them some interesting joint project to work on.

[Yorkshireman]

If You have need of programmers look for the thread from @lonelyboy He is a Java developer about to lose His job ;-)

Your guys are acting very unprofessional, and with little respect for Your company and it's other employees. So, as You say programmers are in short supply, I doubt they also have any loyalty to You or Your company and would probably hop at the 1st bigger offer! and/or Your other employees will become tired of working in the same office as them and may also leave! (think about that!).

What if the video(s) they make ends up on the net and identifies Your company? What kind of damage could that do to Your company? (and yourself professionally as their manager).

If You are not prepared to give them a written warning, that at least talk to them off the record with regards hinting that this kind of behaviour would most likely come-up in references they may need for future positions unless it stops now!

The Devil makes work for idle hands ... My experience in IT is that You need to keep the employees very busy :-D ... if You are meeting deadlines, and they have spare time, find internal things to do that may be interesting developer challenges ;-) ... and look to arrange frequent events outside the office, outside of working hours ... laser dome, the traditional swedish fem-kamp at Gröna Lund ... something where they can blow off steam, have fun, but outside of the office.

[dave.smith]

Byke, they do different areas of our systems.

We have undertaken to replace all of our legacy systems (from a .NET back end) to python. This has largely been completed, but the toolchain development is a major area that needs upgrading, and this is what the one guy is currently doing.

The other one is doing the more creative side, upgrading our user iterfaces from legacy app code to HTML5 and WebGL.

[skogsbo]

Usually they are ok if I am in the office, the complaints generally come through when I am not there, which admittedly is often.The only contentious issue is the ticket system ... (show full quote)

Usually they are ok if I am in the office, the complaints generally come through when I am not there, which admittedly is often.

The only contentious issue is the ticket system - there is a big difference between the speed I want them resolved and the time it actually takes. ... (hide full quote)

maybe they view you differently to what you think, long holidays, flashy cars... why should they work any harder to fund your absence and toys?

Unless you have a deputy who can run things in your absences you should forget about your 2-3month holidays in SA. You need to be there managing. Owning a business brings responsibilities, it's not just about bringing in the money.

You need a meeting now, with each of the 2 trouble makers, then with the older employee. Let it drift to lunch time and they will think it is not an important issue. It also shows the other employees you are taking it seriously. Credibility is everything.

Then later in the week, or next week, you need a whole staff meeting about productivity if you feel it's an issue.

Do you not have regular meetings anyway? a monday meeting can be a great way of seeing what progress has been made and set targets for staff. They can be quite relaxed coffee and cake affairs, but you need to have an agenda and be professional. It's also a chance for praise and reward if folk have being doing well, leadership works both ways. So staff need to be made to feel they can raise issues face to face too.

[Johno]

We or rather you have been here before, in fact more than once.

http://www.thelocal.se/discuss/index.php?s...c=48823&hl=

http://www.thelocal.se/discuss/index.php?s...c=23953&hl=

http://www.thelocal.se/discuss/index.php?s...c=25055&hl=

Why have you not accepted that you are rubbish at handling folks because a. you are a soft touch b. because you are away too much and c. you are too conspicuous in spending what your employees have helped you earn.

You have had the advice here that you need a strong office manager, and essentially you should distance yourself from handling employee relations. And apparently not taken that advice.

And this forum is not the place to get the help you need, unless you want to keep bumbling on, wingeing about how things dont go your way and also being the butt of the comments that came your way in your car thread.