If you have found out about these former employees' behavior it must mean that someone is still talking to you...haha! I would take heart from that.
In your position here are some things I would do:
1. Reflect honestly with yourself about whether there is any legitimacy in the complaints these former employees are making. If so, resolve to not make those mistakes again - making mistakes doesn't make you a bad person, it just means you're learning - like everyone else on the planet.
And if it is simply bad behavior on their part, let it go. You have no control over them.
What you do have control over is not talking about them ever again, especially with current employees. Should something come up that mentions them, simply say: I'm not concerned with the behavior of someone who doesn't work for me. I'm more concerned with....blah blah blah
There is never a way that as a boss you can talk about subordinates. Simply stop doing so and focus on the positives of your current employees and department.
2. Meet with each of your direct reports and have an open chat. Without making specific mention of these former employees, say that it has come to your attention that negative things are being said and that you are committed to having an open and positive working relationship with the employee you're meeting with.
Ask if there's anything that they feel they need to mention about their work environment. Reinforce that you're committed to the company, and committed to their position with the company and want to do everything in your power to achieve company goals and maximize their effectiveness and enjoyment in their work.
3. After meeting with each of these employees I'd recommend you forget about these bad apples and move on in your life. Your attitude and how you manage this situation is being watched by your current reports. If they see you respond in a positive and professional manner you will not lose anyone worth keeping.
Good luck!
First of all i as a manager would ignore the comments. You know its happening BUT your better than them not to react and carry on as normal. If you wanted to approach them do so, if you feel the need for the boss to be involved and there when you confront them do so. Everyone hates a manager..people hate being told what to do!! But at least YOU can put them in there place.
If you know you are right in what you do and what you say.. you have nothing to worry about!!
Yea, it's pretty normal that they hate you considering you are younger than them and probably haven't been at that job for very long. I think you'd better find a way to find some subs that will support you and back you up before things get out of hand and rumors start to fly. It will get worse for you if they all see you as the enemy and you will never earn their respect and loyalty.
yell scream bully fire or ignore. why bother, you are the manager.
Suck it up
I recently terminated two long-term employees. One for repeated insubordination and poor attitude, and the other for poor attitude toward co-workers, management, and customers.
Both former employees have been contacting current staff members, both at work and on their personal phones. It has been communicated to me that one of these individuals is making threatening remarks, directed toward me, on social media platforms such as Facebook. I cannot take legal action regarding the threats at this time, because there is apparently a "code name" used to refer to me online and I cannot see their pages to print proof of the threats.
I understand that I cannot control what people say and do, and I would not want to. My concern is that these former employees will "poison" the attitudes of our current team with their negativity. Rumors quickly develop from dishonest or deceptive statements made.
My goal is to keep morale high and to earn/keep the loyalty of my existing staff. How to I achieve these goals while being bombarded with this negativity?
I feel that I am a dedicated, approachable manager, and that I am resented for my young age and the decisions I sometimes have to make (such as terminating these two). Is it normal to be despised among a group of employees, or seen as the "enemy"? Is this typical of those with already poor attitudes? How, as a manager, do you prevent these things from getting to you?
