Martin Harris — March 25, 2017 Follow @Martin_HarrisPRYour employees are vital to the success and performance of your business, so it is important to monitor their well-being. In a small business, there is a much higher chance that you will interact with each individual employee, sometimes daily.
That means if there is anything that might not be right you should be able to spot it.
However, sometimes your workforce may not want you to pick up on their issues, and in the case of debt or concerns about money, it isn’t often something that they will want you to know about, especially if they have an IVA or Protected Trust Deed in place to help them manage their debt. Recent statistics show that major cities across the UK, including London, Manchester, Cardiff, Glasgow and Bristol, have seen an increase in the number of people currently receiving support to get out of debt.
Here are some telltale signs that all isn’t well with your employees, and that they may have financial troubles.
A change in their behaviour
This may be a subtle change, but it is one that you can notice. You may find that your employee becomes slightly agitated whenever money is mentioned, or they can appear to become jealous of others spending habits or finances.
They are pushy about their pay
Most people are keen to be paid, however if your employee is becoming pushy about dates and amounts, long before it is payday then there may be good reason for this.
They are keen to work overtime
Do you offer paid overtime in your workplace? Perhaps you open up on a Saturday or evenings and need someone to be in the premises? Is it always the same employee? This may be sign that they need to boost their cash flow because of money worries.
They stop coming to social events
Does your workplace often have nights out or social gatherings? A sure fire sign that someone is struggling financially is that they stop making an appearance at these events. Whilst you may just have some employees who don’t like the idea of going out with their colleagues, if they are normally the life of the party, a lack of attendance may be a bad sign.
They seem physically different
Worrying about money can be incredibly tiring, especially if it is always on your mind. If your employee is looking withdrawn, tired and worn out, then they may be spending a large chunk of their time worrying about money. They may also have lost weight, which can be due to stress or because they are not spending as much money on food as they normally would.
They avoid calls on their mobile
Have you noticed an employee who receives calls on their mobile which they never answer? It may just be a cold caller, but it could also be a company chasing them for money.
Once you identify the problem, you may find that you can help and support your workforce. By showing them that you care about their personal circumstances, not only are they more likely to open up to you, but they could also feel more loyal to your business and have trust in you as an employer.
However, this is an area that you should approach with care and sensitivity. Otherwise you could end up offending or upsetting the person concerned, and making the situation even worse.
Rather than targeting them as an individual, why not send out a reminder to the entire workforce that you are there to support them with any of their issues? Or you could always pass around help-lines or websites that are designed to help those in a poor financial situation.
Sometimes the best thing that you can do is simply keep an eye on them. Checking to see if any major changes occur, or if they start to take time off of work due to sickness.
If anything like this happens, then the time may come to intervene, helping them to reach a solution.
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