Resolving Workplace Conflicts: Employee Relations - Threatening Negative Publicity (PDF)

An employee angry about being terminated or being forced to resign threatens retaliation by taking action including contacting customers/clients to criticize the organization in an attempt to damage those relationships, some of which may be long-term. The long-term relationships may be difficult to break, but the shorter-term relationships may be much more fragile. It may also be that the disgruntled ex-employee took good care of customers/clients and that the organization may be justly blamed from their perspectives. On the other hand, customers/clients may be left with a poor taste in their mouths and think less of the organization as well as the terminated employee due to the fact that they are even subjected to something so negative, unprofessional and malicious.

With this tool you get the following:

•  The effects negative publicity/retaliation has on the organization.
•  Considerations for why the disgruntled ex-employee chooses to retaliate.
•  Numerous solutions for addressing the negative publicity/retaliation.
•  Ideas for negotiating/adjusting solutions.
•  Potential barriers and ways to overcome them to achieve resolution.
•  Implementation timeframe.
•  Follow-up review commitments.

Additionally, we provide a blank, editable Conflict Resolution Worksheet and the Worksheet Guidelines providing a step-by-step process for addressing your own workplace conflicts.