Managing personal issues that impact performance

We often say in the handbook that what you do in your own time is your business. And in most cases, that’s absolutely right. But the reality is, people don’t clock in as completely separate versions of themselves.  

Financial worries, mental health struggles, relationship problems, alcohol misuse, online behaviour or difficult personal circumstances can, and do, begin to show up at work.

That doesn’t mean every personal issue becomes an employer’s responsibility. But there does come a point where what happens outside work starts to affect someone’s role, their colleagues, your workplace or your organisation’s reputation. And that’s when employers can’t ignore it any longer.

When does it become an employer’s concern?

It really comes down to the impact it has.

A personal issue may become a workplace issue when it affects:

• Attendance
• Performance
• Behaviour
• Workplace safety
• Colleagues
• The organisation’s reputation

That might be someone coming into work under the influence, still hungover, or not fit to carry out their role safely. It could be financial pressures or mental health struggles starting to affect attendance or performance. Or it might be something that brings the company into disrepute, like behaviour on social media that can be linked back to where they work.

So while employees do have a right to a private life, that line is crossed when the issue starts to affect their role, their colleagues or the organisation itself.

Spotting the early signs

Employees won’t always explain what’s going on straight away, if at all, so you have to look out for the signs.

That might be a change in behaviour. Someone who’s usually calm becomes snappy, or someone outgoing becomes quiet and withdrawn. You might see increased lateness, missed deadlines or more frequent absences.

At the moment, mental health is one of the biggest issues employers are seeing. But employers aren’t medical experts. If someone tells you they’re unwell, take that at face value and deal with it appropriately. That might mean asking for medical evidence where appropriate, involving occupational health, considering reasonable adjustments, or talking about what they need at work.

It’s rarely one big, obvious signal. It’s those smaller changes that suggest something isn’t quite right.

Start with a conversation

The most important thing you can do is start with an informal conversation.

Go into it as a listener. Don’t judge, assume or pry. Ask open questions and give the employee space to share as much or as little as they feel comfortable with.

From there, ask what might help. That could include:

• Adjusted start times
• Time off
• A workload review
• Flexibility around where they work
• Occupational health support
• Signposting to an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), GP or external support service

Where possible, let the employee take the lead. Your job is to understand what’s affecting work and what support may be reasonable, not to force them to disclose personal details.

What if they don’t open up?

This is one of the hardest parts. You might feel like you know something’s wrong, but if the employee isn’t engaging, you have to be careful not to push too far.

Asking too many questions or trying to dig into their personal life can feel intrusive, even when your intentions are good. Even speaking to colleagues about your concerns could backfire, as it may be seen as talking about them behind their back.

Sometimes, you have to accept that you can’t force someone to open up.

Make clear that support is available, keep the focus on work, and continue to manage concerns sensitively.

When there’s a welfare or safety risk

Employers have a duty of care, especially where there are genuine welfare concerns. For example, if you think someone could harm themselves or others, that needs to be taken seriously. In severe cases, it may mean contacting emergency services or the police.

That might mean getting professional support involved or, in some cases, removing them from the workplace. Suspension may be an option, but it should always be a last resort.

Be supportive, but stay in your lane

This can be difficult in smaller businesses, where relationships with employees are often close. You might feel the right thing to do is help directly, such as lending money if someone is struggling financially. But however well-intentioned that may be, it can quickly blur the line between supporting someone and becoming personally involved.

Ultimately, your role isn’t to fix someone’s personal situation. But you should support appropriately, signpost them to professional help where needed, and continue to manage any workplace impact.

The grey areas employers struggle with

Some situations aren’t so clear-cut. For example, you might have someone who smells of alcohol or seems slightly impaired but is still doing their job well. Even then, you can’t ignore it. There are safety considerations, including how they got to work, and you still have a duty of care.

Those conversations can be difficult, but they do need to happen. It’s about asking whether they’re fit for work and addressing the concern in a professional way.

Where employers go wrong

The biggest mistakes we see come down to boundaries and approach.

Employers might:

• Overstep and get too personally involved
• Try to solve the problem themselves
• Give too much of their own opinion
• Dismiss concerns too quickly, particularly around mental health
• Jump into a formal process before understanding what’s happening

Even with the best intentions, that can do more harm than good.

A softer approach matters

Policies can help set expectations, especially around issues like drugs, alcohol, absence, conduct and social media. But situations like this are often very individual and they don’t always fit neatly into one policy or procedure.

So before you reach for the handbook, take a step back.

Even if you’re sceptical, or you think there might be more to the story, go in with empathy. Start by trying to understand what’s happening, keep the focus on work, and only move into a formal process if you need to.

In the end, it’s about finding the line between care and responsibility, and knowing when to step in without stepping too far.