An employee walks into your office.

They close the door and say:

“I need to talk to you about something that happened.”

Maybe they are upset with their manager.

Maybe they are complaining about a coworker.

Maybe they believe they are being treated unfairly.

Or maybe they are making a much more serious complaint about harassment or discrimination.

What do you do next?

For many small business owners, the first reaction is to start solving the problem immediately.

That can be a mistake.

When an employee makes a complaint, how you respond matters just as much as what you do about the complaint.

First Things First: Listen

When someone brings you a complaint, give them a chance to explain what happened.

Try not to interrupt.

Avoid jumping to conclusions.

Most importantly, don’t decide who is right or wrong before you have enough information.

You may have worked with the manager for years. You may know the other employee well. You may even think you already know what happened.

Listen anyway.

Ask questions that help you understand the situation.

For example:

• What happened?

• When did it happen?

• Who was involved?

• Was anyone else present?

• Has this happened before?

• Have you already reported this to anyone?

• Do you have any documentation or other information related to the situation?

You do not need to conduct a formal investigation during the first conversation.

Your first goal is to understand the concern.

Don’t Promise a Specific Outcome

This is where good intentions can sometimes cause problems.

An employee may want to know what you are going to do.

They may ask:

“Are you going to fire them?”

Or:

“Are you going to make my manager stop doing this?”

You may be tempted to reassure them right away.

Instead, be careful about making promises before you know all the facts.

You can acknowledge the concern without promising a particular outcome.

You might say:

“Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I want to make sure I understand what happened so we can determine the appropriate next steps.”

That keeps the conversation open.

It also gives you room to gather more information before making a decision.

Document the Complaint

Documentation matters.

Write down what the employee reported as soon as possible.

Include the date of the conversation and the main facts the employee shared.

You do not need to write down every word.

However, your notes should be clear and factual.

Avoid statements such as:

“She is always complaining.”

Instead, document what actually happened.

For example:

“Employee reported that her supervisor made the following comment during a staff meeting on October 5.”

There is an important difference.

One statement is an opinion.

The other documents a specific allegation.

Good documentation helps you keep the facts straight as you move forward.

Don’t Immediately Confront the Other Employee

This is another common reaction.

An employee makes a complaint, so the business owner immediately calls the other person into the office and says:

“Did you say this?”

That may not be the best first step.

Depending on the nature of the complaint, you may need to gather more information first.

You may also need to consider who should be involved in the investigation and how the information should be handled.

The right approach can vary depending on the circumstances.

That is one reason employee complaints should not be treated like ordinary workplace disagreements.

Take Retaliation Seriously

Once an employee makes a complaint, retaliation can become another concern.

Retaliation generally involves taking an adverse action against someone because they engaged in legally protected activity.

That means you should be careful about how you handle the employee after the complaint.

For example, don’t suddenly change someone’s schedule, reduce their hours, discipline them or terminate them simply because they made a complaint.

That does not mean an employee can never be disciplined after making a complaint.

It means you should be able to explain the legitimate business reason for your decision and document it appropriately.

When a complaint and a later employment decision occur close together, the situation deserves careful attention.

What If the Complaint Seems Unreasonable?

Not every employee complaint involves discrimination, harassment or another legal issue.

Sometimes an employee is simply unhappy.

Maybe they think another employee gets better assignments.

Maybe they disagree with a manager’s decision.

Maybe they believe a workplace rule is unfair.

That does not mean you should automatically dismiss the complaint.

Instead, determine what the employee is actually reporting.

There is a difference between:

“I don’t like this policy.”

and

“This policy is being applied differently to me because of a protected characteristic.”

The first may be a workplace management issue.

The second could raise a much more serious HR concern.

You need to understand the difference before deciding how to respond.

Know When to Get HR Help

Small business owners often feel like they need to handle every employee issue themselves.

You don’t.

In fact, there are situations where getting HR guidance early can help you avoid making the situation worse.

Consider getting help when an employee complaint involves:

• Harassment

• Discrimination

• Retaliation

• Workplace safety

• A manager or supervisor

• A termination

• A leave or accommodation request

• A potentially serious policy violation

• Conflicting accounts of what happened

You don’t have to wait until the situation becomes a major problem.

Sometimes, a conversation with an HR professional at the beginning can help you determine what questions to ask and what steps to take next.

The Biggest Mistake? Reacting Before You Understand

When an employee complains, you may feel pressure to fix the situation immediately.

Resist that urge.

Listen. Document. Ask questions. Review the facts. Then decide what comes next.

You don’t have to have every answer during the first conversation.

You do need to take the complaint seriously.

And if you’re not sure what to do next, don’t guess.

Consult HR Services can help small businesses navigate employee complaints, workplace concerns, policies and other HR issues before a difficult situation becomes even more difficult.

Because when an employee comes to you with a complaint, your next move matters.