I was a malcontent. I was always going to be a malcontent, and that is OK. When I worked for other people, I wasn\u2019t particularly good at pretending everything was wonderful when it wasn\u2019t. That didn\u2019t always make me popular. But being popular and being right aren\u2019t necessarily the same thing.<\/p>\n
There are employees who complain about everything. The coffee, the parking, the temperature, and whatever someone brought for lunch. Then there are employees who complain because something actually needs attention. A smart employer learns to distinguish between the two.<\/p>\n
When an employee tells you that their 401(k) contribution isn\u2019t showing up, you shouldn\u2019t dismiss them as someone looking for trouble. When they question why they weren\u2019t enrolled or why nobody can explain a distribution delay, the complaint deserves an answer.<\/p>\n
That employee might be identifying a problem affecting everyone.<\/p>\n
Plan sponsors sometimes get defensive because they believe a complaint is an accusation. They trust their payroll department. They like their provider. They assume the employee misunderstood something. Maybe the employee did. Checking the facts is how you find out.<\/p>\n
Start with the payroll records, the participant\u2019s account, and the applicable plan provisions. Ask your providers to explain what happened. Then communicate the answer instead of letting the employee wonder whether anyone bothered to look.<\/p>\n
You don\u2019t have to agree with every complaint. You do have to take a specific concern seriously enough to investigate it.<\/p>\n
Employees who say nothing aren\u2019t necessarily satisfied. Sometimes they\u2019ve decided that speaking up accomplishes nothing. That should concern an employer more than a difficult conversation.<\/p>\n
The malcontent may be annoying. I\u2019m sure I was. But the employee willing to point out a problem can give you an opportunity to fix it early. Listen before deciding that the person raising the issue is the issue itself.<\/p>\n
<\/span><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I was a malcontent. I was always going to be a malcontent, and that is OK. When I worked for other people, I wasn\u2019t particularly good at pretending everything was wonderful when it wasn\u2019t. That didn\u2019t always make me popular. … Continue reading