Ellis Communications, Inc.
              NEWS STORY

Disruptive Employees Affect Morale, Customer Service
Thoughts, Tips for Managers On Dealing With Problem Employees

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE              CONTACT: Tom Ellis
Jun. 11, 2003                                Ellis Communications, Inc.
                                                      Phone: (417) 881-5635

      Every manager in the utility industry is bound to have one sooner or later - the disruptive employee who may be good at his job but who is affecting morale and, ultimately, customer service.

       “One employee’s negative attitude is highly contagious and can seriously damage the morale of an entire utility company work team while annoying customers as well,” says David Saxby, president of Phoenix-based Measure-X, a company that specializes in helping utilities improve their customer service and sales. “What’s worse, managers who coddle these individuals send a powerful message to the rest of the team that it’s OK to be cynical and even disrespectful as long as you do your job.”

      Saxby offers the following seven tips and thoughts concerning disruptive employees. Utility managers should consult their human resources department before taking any action to deal with such problem staff members.

1. Every employee within the utility must be held accountable for his or her behavior
2. It’s unprofessional for any member of the staff to exhibit behavior that is verbally disruptive or destructive to other members of the team.
3. Anger, crying and hostility in response to constructive criticism are forms of manipulation. “These are unacceptable workplace behaviors and should not be tolerated in any employee at any level,” Saxby notes.
4. Tell the offending employee that you are giving him a “gift” of a paid Friday off. “In exchange, he must use this day to carefully think about whether he would like to continue working at the company,” Saxby says.
5. Remind the disruptive employee that cynicism, finger pointing and negative attitudes are unprofessional and will no longer be tolerated. “However, because you respect the quality of his work, you should give him an opportunity to turn his attitude around,” Saxby suggests.
6. If the employee chooses to continue employment, he should come to work the Monday after his Friday off with a plan outlining the specific steps he will take to change his attitude and become a positive team player.
7. If the employee chooses not to take ownership of his attitude, he can either submit a letter of resignation or be terminated.

      “Remember that employee respect is earned,” Saxby says. “To be an effective manager, you need to treat each member of your staff with equal fairness. Employees who are treated fairly are more likely to behave professionally with customers.”

For more information on Measure-X, call 888-644-5499 or visit its Web site at www.measure-x.com.

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