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Complaints Benefits Communication Suggestions

I have an employee who is performing well, but she complains constantly about our benefits. As a company, our pay is above average, and our benefits are average for this industry, and that’s all we can afford. This employee keeps saying that benefits were better at four of her previous jobs. How do I get her complaining to stop?



You may be dealing with a card-carrying complainer whose glass is always half empty unless it is a glass of complaints, in which case it is full. If you take care of one source of dissatisfaction for this type of person, she is likely to find another.

However, this does not mean there are no solutions. For example, it may be helpful to provide this employee with more information on the costs of the benefits, as well as a clearer picture of your company’s pay scale. Some companies are leaning toward “open book management” which provides employees with considerable financial information about the company, and that may also be worth considering.

You can also let this employee know that you are open to her suggestions. If she has ideas or referrals that might help, let her know you are interested in hearing them. If she does provide them, be sure to provide fair consideration and feedback.

Although this employee is quick to compare your benefits with those at her previous jobs, the fact that she has gone through four previous employers would lead one to believe that she had complaints about them, or they had some about her.





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