INTRODUCTION
About FIEC HR Support
In 2021, FIEC formalised an arrangement with the Anglican Diocese of Sydney for FIEC to access HR support provided by the Parish HR Partner, Vikki Napier, initially by accessing the tools and training the Parish HR Partner can deliver. The Parish HR Partner has been appointed by the Anglican Diocese of Sydney to assist Rectors and Wardens with HR questions and processes.
Individual case advice does not form part of the initial arrangement between FIEC and the Anglican Diocese of Sydney.
About the FIEC HR Toolkit
This toolkit has been established to assist pastors and leaders exercise their responsibility to manage staff, both employees and/or office holders, in the context of church ministry. The processes outlined are guidelines only. Whilst it is not mandated that pastors follow these processes, these resources will be helpful in developing good practices and displaying Christian values within the context of staff relationships.
You are encouraged to modify the templates and processes to suit your specific circumstances whilst maintaining the principles of procedural fairness as a minimum. Our churches are not businesses; we therefore should not seek to simply meet corporate standards, but to exceed them!
No step in the HR Toolkit should be attempted without first bringing your prayers and petitions before God, asking for wisdom and discernment and seeking a heart of humility and grace.
HR Toolkit Training
If you require training on how to use the HR tools provided in the toolkit, please feel free to contact Vikki Napier - vikki.napier@sydney.anglican.asn.au.
You can also watch the recording of the HR Toolkit Webinar that was run online on 26 October. Vikki gives a general introduction to the toolkit, explains why understanding the importance of HR is vital for the management of staff in our churches and then digs into two areas - Handling Conflict and Performance Management.
If you have any questions about the HR Toolkit, please contact Dean Ingham in the FIEC National Office - dean.ingham@fiec.org.au / 0431203616.
Being prepared to manage
It is recommended that you complete the Centre for Ministry Development (CMD) Leadership Training in order to develop your skills in the area of Human Resources and people management. After all, you are in the privileged position of leading a ministry team.
CMD also have some videos for you to view before you attempt some of the tools provided. They are short and helpful. Check them out here.
If you would like more information regarding the training CMD offers, please contact Jillian Fulcher on 0414 251 333 or jillian.fulcher@cmd.training.
Note: All materials in this HR Toolkit are the property of Sydney Diocesan Services or used under licence from the Centre for Ministry Development (Moore Theological College Council) and are subject to copyright. You may reproduce, distribute and adapt the materials for use in the context of your local church and ministry. Indeed we hope that you do so since this is the very purpose of the Toolkit. Please note that commercial use of the materials is not permitted.
1 - RECRUITMENT
Before you recruit
You and your leadership team are considering funding a new position.
Read through the CMD Guide to Recruiting document and then refer to the Recruitment Checklist to step through the recruitment process.
Consult the Remuneration Guidelines (Sydney Anglican) or the Modern Awards found on the Fair Work Commission website in order to set the most appropriate working relationship and remuneration. Refer to the Modern Awards Guide for a list of awards which typically cover roles in a church.
Consider your advertising campaign (print media and other networks) and the key objectives of the role as well as the key competencies of the successful applicant.
Draft the role description and advertisement/role information page. Refer to the CMD Role Description Template and CMD Sample Role Advertisement.
Consider the style of interview you would like to adopt as well as the shape of an appropriate interview panel.
Using the role description and advertisement as a guide, draft interview questions – see the BEI Template. Behavioural Event Interviews (BEIs) are a great way of getting to the heart of a person’s capability. Asking questions like, ‘Can you tell me a time when….’; or ‘Describe a time when you had to…… What did you do? What worked well? What would you do different next time?’ will help you to understand the character, humility and capability of an applicant. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and probe deeper to get to the crux of the characteristics used to take the action.
Interview and selection
Review your applications against the key competencies you are seeking. Utilise the Application Assessment Tool to capture the information. The Assessment tool assumes a panel of 3. Please amend the tool to suit your individual purpose.
Don’t expect an exact match. Look for areas that can be developed. When in doubt, interview!
Schedule first interviews. You may decide to conduct first interviews without a panel to screen applicants and identify 3 or 4 strong applicants for a second interview with a panel. Ensure you schedule enough time and that you don’t need to rush off to another appointment.
Consider the location of the interview. For ministry staff, you may consider interviewing in your home, or theirs. For other employees such as an office administrator, you may consider interviewing in the location where the successful applicant will be located.
Identify a short list of strong applicants and schedule second interviews with the panel.
Have each panel member use the Application Assessment Tool to mark/assess each response and talk through your assessments with the panel. As a panel you should then agree on a combined assessment score prior to interviewing the next applicant. Usually, you will give a score out of 5 for each question. The higher the score, the more likely the applicant is to have demonstrated the competencies you are looking for.
Once the interviews are complete, as a panel, identify the best two applicants for the role.
Consider inviting separately each applicant (and, if married, their spouse) to dinner with your family to discuss more about the role. This is an opportunity for you to see how the applicants interact with you and your family and may help you differentiate between the two applicants.
Once you’ve decided on the successful applicant, you should conduct a reference check. Use the Reference Check Interview Questions to assist you with this important part of the recruitment process.
Making the offer
Contact the successful applicant to offer the position. Refer to Talking Points Guide for Successful Applicant. Confirm preliminary details (start date etc).
Assuming the first applicant accepts, contact the unsuccessful applicants (and provide them with feedback on why they were unsuccessful). Refer to the Talking Points Guide for Unsuccessful Applicants.
Agree with the successful applicant a communication strategy to ensure appropriate stakeholders are notified of the appointment prior to news of the appointment becoming public. This is particularly important in relation to the appointment of ministry staff leaving another ministry position.
Prepare an offer letter.
As a matter of law, you are required to provide all new employees with a copy of the Fair Work Information Statement. The Statement is subject to changes, so use the above link to obtain the most current version of the document.
Arrange for the successful applicant to sign the offer letter and retain a copy of the signed letter for your records.
Documents in this section:
- CMD Guide to Recruiting
- Recruitment Checklist
- Modern Awards Guide
- CMD Role Description Template
- CMD Sample Role Advertisement
- Application Assessment Tool
- Reference Check Interview Questions
- Behavioural event interview template
- Talking Points - Successful Applicant
- Talking Points - Unsuccessful Applicants
- Fair Work Information Statement
- Fair Work Information Statement - what to do with it
- Fair Work Information Statement for Casual Workers
2 - ONBOARDING
Things to do before they arrive
What needs to take place before the successful applicant arrives?
Work through the Onboarding Checklist as a guide and get started! There may be more you want to add to the checklist. (Note: the Ministry Objectives and Development document forms part of the checklist.)
Consider who you can delegate some of the action items to in order to support you to have everything finalised before day 1.
Documents in this section:
- Onboarding Checklist
- Ministry Objectives and Development Document (Example - pdf)
- Ministry Objectives and Development Document (Fillable - pdf)
- Ministry Objectives and Development Document (docx)
3 - INDUCTION
What does day 1 look like?
Let’s break it down… see the Induction Checklist
There are various things to do to welcome a new member of the team. The activities will vary depending on the role being filled, but the areas, broadly speaking, are as follows:
Relational
Introducing the new team member and family to the team, the congregation etc.
Assisting the team member with any accommodation move.
Developing a ‘get to meet you’ hospitality roster for the new team member and family to meet with people over a meal.
Administrational
Confirming all paperwork has been received and uploaded as relevant.
Ensuring pay system is updated to reflect MEA preferences etc.
Confirming utilities are set up (wifi, electricity etc) for any new accommodation.
Operational
Lock in the work rhythm – regularity and nature of meetings (one on ones, staff meetings)
Review and finalise the Ministry Objective and Development document (see below).
Discuss expectations (including the appropriate day off and any other support the new team member may require).
Developmental
Discuss/schedule appropriate training for the new member. This may be computer training in Excel for a bookkeeper or office administrator; it may be a ministry conference for a ministry team member.
Assist the ministry staff member to identify an appropriate mentor to meet with regularly in the early days of ministry.
Schedule a face to face with the Assistant Pastor and Executive within 3-6 months after day 1.
Documents in this section:
- Section 3 - Induction (pdf)
- Induction Checklist (pdf)
- Ministry Objectives and Development Document (Example - pdf)
- Ministry Objectives and Development Document (Fillable - pdf)
- Ministry Objectives and Development Document (docx)
4 - DAY TO DAY
Day to day activities for a team member
Have regular one on one meetings specifically to discuss progress in the role (monthly reflect and progress meetings).
Studies have shown the value of giving and receiving feedback. Regular catch ups with your team to discuss things that are going well and opportunities for development are important for the working relationship. Consider the discussion points outlined in the One on One Meeting Guidelines and incorporate these into a regular catch up.
It is recommended that you meet with your team member monthly to reflect on the past month and discuss the next month’s activities. Whilst you will likely meet with team members, particularly ministry team members, more regularly, it is recommended that one meeting per month is dedicated to this reflection (past month) and progression (next month) meeting. Invest time in preparing. Consider using the Ministry Objective Document to shape the conversation and to stay on track.
The Ministry Objective document is a document that can be amended and updated as activities and priorities change. It incorporates the ‘how’ or the activities that will enable the team member to achieve ‘what’ is outlined in the Role Description.
In summary, the Role Description outlines what is expected in the role, and the Objectives Reviews and Development document outlines how you expect the team member to achieve the ‘what’.
For example, you may want your team member, who is an associate pastor, to be responsible for the evening service and this is outlined in the Role Description (i.e. ‘Responsibility for the 7.00pm Service’). The Ministry Objective document will include measurable tasks that will achieve the objective of having ‘responsibility for the 7.00pm service’. Some actions that may be listed in the Ministry Objective document in this example may include:
enlist a ministry team of volunteers to develop the service outline for 7.00pm within the first 6 weeks;
meet with two congregation members from the 7.00pm service regularly to disciple for future ministry/mission;
ensure service records are maintained including numbers on attendance; and
follow up regular members who fail to attend 3 weeks in a row.
Quarterly reflection and progression meeting
As part of your working relationship and regular one on one reflect and progress meetings, it is important to consolidate these discussions on a quarterly basis. This will assist you to iron out any misplaced expectations that you or your team member may have.
Utilise the Ministry Objective Document for the basis of this meeting, noting your comments as quarterly comments and making appropriate amendments to the document, by agreement.
Remember to celebrate the things that God has done in and through the team member to grow his kingdom and support ministry in their role during the past quarter. Refer to the Various Types of Feedback Conversation document for tips on how to deliver constructive feedback in areas where improvement is required.
Preparation is key! As with the monthly meetings, it is important to:
prepare for the quarterly meeting.
be clear, articulate and transparent.
attend the meeting prepared to listen and to invite feedback.
Documents in this section:
5 - MANAGING UNDERPERFORMANCE
It is sometimes difficult to distinguish between an issue that is related to underperformance and an issue that is related to poor behaviour. Often you would try to discern whether the issue relates to a ‘skill gap’ (performance) or a ‘will gap’ (behaviour)!
It is important to recognise whether the issue you are addressing is an underperformance issue or a behavioural issue as this will inform your approach. If you are uncertain of the appropriate approach, please contact the HR Partner to discuss before proceeding.
This section is ONLY dealing with underperformance.
Before you do anything, commit the matter to God in prayer. For ministry positions especially, ask yourself if the team member needs to develop new abilities to fit the role OR if the role should be modified to fit the strengths of the team member.
During your one on one meetings, your communication should be clear. Perhaps have the team member reflect back to you what they understand you expect of their performance. That way you can both be certain that you are on the same page in terms of expectations.
If the team member expresses feeling bullied or unfairly treated by you as a result of the performance discussions, refer to the section ‘Bullying and inappropriate behaviours’.
If you have been following the steps set out for one on one and quarterly meetings to discuss performance, a more formal approach may be warranted if performance does not improve or meet the expected standard. This step should not come as a surprise to the team member and should only be initiated after careful thought and consideration by you of the expectations you are placing on the team member. Questions to ask yourself before you embark on a more formal process:
Have I been clear in my communication of the performance concerns?
Have I treated the team member with respect and compassion when communicating poor performance or have I created conflict because of my behaviour?
Have I documented my concerns and expectations (by updating the Ministry Objective Document or via email)
Have I made it clear to the team member that failing to improve performance could end the working relationship (i.e. via termination for employees/ via removing from office for office holders)?
Have I done enough for the team member to support their improvement or is there more I can do?
Have I completed the Performance Checklist and tested my thinking and approach with an elder or with the HR Partner?
Am I convinced that the role is necessary and the team member is not the correct fit, or should I consider whether another role is more suitable to the team member’s skills and whether I should reconsider the remit?
Having considered these questions, decide whether to continue with the one on one meetings or initiate a more formalised approach. Any formalised approach is intended to increase the focus on improvement and is not a means to ending the working relationship, even though this may sadly be the eventual result.
Continue with the one on one meetings
Elevate the urgency for improvement by having an authentic constructive feedback conversation. Refer to the Various Types of Feedback Conversation document for guidance.
Ensure you explain that, if you do not see improvement in a reasonable period of time (articulate what is reasonable) then you may need to consider a more formalised approach. Explain that the more formalised approach is to free the team member up from some of their other tasks to allow them to focus on the gaps and to bring about sustained improvement. You will also have responsibilities within the formalised approach to consider and deliver more support and focus to assist the team member.
It is also important to be transparent in relation to the consequences if improvement does not eventuate. This will require you to highlight ongoing poor performance may result in the working relationship coming to an end.
Commence a more formalised process
This step can place a lot of stress on the team member as well as yourself. Take some time to think through the process you will adopt, how you will communicate it, what you want to see in terms of improvement (including the period in which you expect the improvement to occur) and how you will communicate consequences. Whilst your focus is on improvement, you should be transparent about the consequences should improvement not eventuate.
Invite the team member to a meeting. Be clear on what the meeting is about. Refer to the Talking Points – Invitation to Formal Performance Meeting document. Note, whilst the meeting is formal, it is not necessary to deliver a formal outcome at this meeting.
As this step could ultimately result in the team member being removed from their position at your church if the expected level of improvement isn’t achieved, it will be important to provide procedural fairness as a minimum. This will mean providing the team member with reasonable notice of the meeting (i.e. 24 hours) and the reason for the meeting (i.e. to discuss their poor performance) as well as providing them with an opportunity to bring someone with them to the meeting to support them if they so wish. You should only formalise performance management if you have been informally managing poor performance. This step should not come as a surprise for the team member.
There is a lot at stake! You need to prepare well. Refer back to the one on one discussions, the Ministry Objective document (various versions) and any other information, discussion notes etc. that you have acquired during the course of your performance discussions with the team member. Refer to the Performance Support Process Meeting Guide to assist you with running this type of meeting.
What if things don’t improve?
After having attempted to address poor performance over a reasonable period of time, including through one on one and quarterly meetings and having commenced the more formalised process, it may be necessary to consider whether the person is the right fit for the role… or whether the role is the right fit for the person.
It is also important to reflect on whether the team member has been provided with adequate support and resources to facilitate their improvement as part of the more formalised process.
In ministry work, it may be that God has provided you with someone who has gifts that may not align to the role you sought to fill, but rather gifts that he believes are necessary at your church. Before you make any decision about the ongoing engagement of the ministry team member, seek God’s guidance on whether the role is critical to ministry, or whether the person brings other gifts that will also be critical to ministry.
Employees, on the other hand, are often recruited to fulfil a task (i.e. bookkeeper, administrator, gardener etc). If employees aren’t meeting your performance expectations after managing their underperformance, then you may need to consider dismissing them, having attempted to assist them to improve. Steps to dismiss an employee are found in the ‘Ending the Working Relationship’ section of this web page.
Prior to making any decision to terminate an appointment or dismiss someone, please contact the HR Partner who will consider the terms of the employment contract.
Prior to termination or dismissal in performance-related matters, it is generally appropriate to provide the person with 3 formal chances to improve. This will be in the form of various warnings, progressing toward dismissal if performance does not improve.
Documents in this section:
- Performance Checklist (pdf)
- Performance Support Process - Meeting Guide - Informal (pdf)
6 - BULLYING & INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOUR
Before you begin:
Consider whether the matter could be dealt with using the tools set out in the ‘Conflict in Ministry’ section.
Remember - It is important that all allegations of bullying are addressed promptly, impartially and confidentially.
Consider the following:
It is not uncommon for a team member who feels like they are being unfairly treated to believe that they are being ‘bullied’. This is particularly prevalent in the context of managing a team member’s performance.
The definition for ‘workplace bullying’ can be defined as ‘repeated and unreasonable behaviour directed to a person or persons which, having regard to all the circumstances, would be expected to victimise, humiliate, undermine or threaten the person or persons, and which creates a risk to their health and safety. Where it involves the use of information and communication technologies, it is often called cyber bullying.’
As a general rule, it is preferable to resolve allegations of this nature at the lowest level satisfactory to the Complainant. Relationships are more difficult to manage once complaints are escalated and there is a diminished prospect of reconciliation at the end of the process.
Investigating allegations of bullying or inappropriate behaviour
To formally address allegations of bullying or inappropriate behaviour, and assuming that you are not the subject of the allegation/s, you should commence an informal investigation.
Outlined below is the process for investigating allegations. Please speak to the HR Partner before commencing an investigation to ensure you have the appropriate level of support and guidance. Ultimately, you want to understand the matter from all perspectives, see the matter addressed and take steps to have relationships restored.
If a team member tells you that you have bullied them, you should ask them to meet with you to address the allegations as soon as possible in order to resolve the matter (if possible). If matters cannot be resolved directly, it may be helpful to seek the team member’s consent to involve the Director to facilitate a resolution.
Step 1 - Fact Finding
Meet with the Complainant and ask them what happened. Refer to the Complainant Meeting Guide to assist you with the interview. You should ask the complainant to keep the matter confidential (i.e. only disclose on a ‘need to know’ basis), as this will enable the investigation to be fair and impartial, and avoid any gossip or speculation.
You want to understand the following:
What happened
When did it happen
How did it happen
Who did what
Were there any witnesses
Do they have someone who can support them through this process? (If not, maybe identify someone to support them).
If the matter is more complicated, you might wish to prepare a ‘summary of the allegation/s’ or a file note of your interview and have the complainant agree to its contents.
Speak to any witnesses. You want to understand what happened from their perspective. It is important to give them only as much information as is required for them to provide their side of the story and no more than that. Refer to the Witness Meeting Guide for assistance with these discussions. Witnesses should be asked to keep the matter confidential.
Step 2 - Meeting with the respondent
Ask the person who is alleged to have committed the conduct (the “Respondent”) to meet with you. Refer to the sample Email Invitation to Respondent. Before you send the email, call the Respondent and explain the matters set out below to ensure procedural fairness is provided.
You will need to ensure procedural fairness. This means the following:
Providing the Respondent with at least 24 hours’ notice of the meeting
An explanation for the reason for the meeting.
The opportunity for the Respondent to bring a support person to the meeting with them. [Note: the support person cannot be in any other way involved in your investigation – therefore, if you have interviewed someone as a witness, the Respondent cannot have that person as a support person.]
Identifying the potential consequences if the allegations are substantiated.
Ensuring that you have made no findings one way or the other about the matter and assuring the Respondent of this.
Refer to the Respondent Meeting Guide to assist you with the interview. The purpose of the meeting is to put the allegations to the Respondent and seek their responses. The types of questions you will ask will depend on the allegations and the witness statements. You should ask the Respondent to keep the matter confidential.
It is important to keep an open mind.
If the matter is complicated, you might wish to prepare a ‘summary of response to the allegation/s’ or a file note of your interview and have the Respondent agree to its contents.
Depending on the nature of the complaint and the response provided to the allegations by the Respondent, it may be appropriate to make changes to the work environment. This could include the Respondent working from a different location for a period of time or making temporary changes to line management in the workplace (for example). In general, you should make the minimum changes necessary to ensure everyone’s health and safety in the workplace.
Step 3 - Deliberate/further investigation
Depending on the responses to the allegations, you may need to go back to the complainant to seek clarification or speak to other witnesses.
Once you’ve completed your meetings, consider the evidence and whether you believe the allegations are substantiated or not. You do not need to be completely convinced either way. In these types of investigations, you are making determinations based on ‘balance of probabilities’. This means you are determining whether it is more likely than not that the alleged behaviour occurred based on all the information.
On occasions, you simply may not have enough information to make a decision because the evidence comes down to one person’s word against another and you have no reason for preferring one person’s account more than the other. On these occasions, please speak to the HR Partner about the best approach to closing the matter and communicating to the parties.
Step 4 - Deliver your findings and any outcomes
You are not obliged to meet again with any witnesses to notify them of your findings. Your obligations are only to the Complainant and the Respondent, and possibly any third party who, for example, was also subject to any substantiated bullying behaviour.
First, meet with the Respondent to share your findings and seek any further information they may wish to offer. Refer to the Delivering Your Findings Meeting Guide.
If the further information provided by the Respondent does not lead you to reconsider your findings, propose the outcome (i.e. the consequence) and seek the Respondent’s comments about the proposed outcome. Again, if there are no submissions that would cause you to reconsider, then confirm the outcome and close the meeting.
Meet with the Complainant and share your findings. You do not need to divulge the outcome you delivered as you want to respect the privacy of the Respondent in this matter. An exception to this is where the outcome impacts upon the Complainant in some manner, such as a change to the work environment or allocation of work duties. You should advise that you have taken necessary steps to address the matter and thank them for bringing the matter to your attention. Encourage them to speak to you again if any other matters arise which concern them.
Step 5 - Reconciliation
Inevitably, relationships can be affected by complaints being raised and investigated. What happens post investigation is important to the relationship of the parties, as well as to the broader church community.
Meet with the Complainant and Respondent separately to explore ways in which reconciliation can take place. This may take the shape of a bible devotional with both parties separately and then with the parties together. When bringing the parties together, refer to the notes on running a facilitated conversation under the next section, ‘Conflict in Ministry’.
7 - CONFLICT IN MINISTRY
Conflict is unavoidable. Not only are we all different, with a different hierarchy of values, and different desires and fears but we live in a broken world and our own sinfulness is never far from the surface. We are all blind and self-deceived in some areas. While we want to be judged on our intentions it’s our words and actions (or inaction) that can damage. All this makes communication challenging as both the speaker and the hearer are engaging with their perspectives when interpreting the message.
Conflict is challenging but it also provides significant opportunities to grow in christlikeness, bring glory to God in the midst of hard circumstances, and to bear the burdens of others.
Conflict can become untenable if not managed well. Conflict managed well can result in strengthened relationships and an increased respect between the parties.
Think through how you’ll manage conflict in the given context. Whilst various contexts are considered below, all call upon you as the Pastor to approach the situation with christ-like leadership, humility and grace.
Quick tips
Don’t avoid addressing the issue. It will only fester and grow tension in the team, or manifest in other ways.
Self-assess. With humility, consider if and how you may have contributed to the conflict.
Be empathetic. Understand the situation from each party’s perspective. This will help you see the situation as Christ would, with love for the parties and a heavy heart for their pain. These matters will be heightened with emotion.
Lead by example. People are watching to see how you deal with conflict. Provide them with a godly, mature model to apply in their own lives.
Seek wise counsel. Raise any concerns with the FIEC National Director, Chaplain or the HR Partner to identify the best approach to manage the situation.
Managing conflict between two team members by way of facilitated conversation
Spend some time in personal reflection about the conflict between the team members, and consider whether it is appropriate to help the parties have a conversation in order to resolve the conflict.
Confirm with the two parties to make sure they are willing to participate. You should be sensitive to any hurt felt by either party, but can be firm in your request that they attend the facilitated conversation.
Refer to the ‘How to Facilitate a Conversation between Two Parties in Conflict’ document and prepare for the meeting.
Before you facilitate a conversation, you may like to give the HR Partner a call to talk through your strategy and role play some possible responses. It may also be worth considering, if the facilitated conversation does not resolve the conflict, whether a formal mediation would be of benefit. If necessary, the HR Partner can arrange for an accredited mediator to be available, however, any costs will need to be borne by your church.
After the conversation (and any mediation), continue to monitor the situation and provide support for all the parties to ensure the relationship continues to progress in a positive way.
Dealing with a team member who is in conflict with you
It is important that you address the conflict as a priority. As the pastor, you need to demonstrate leadership and maturity in this area, as you want your team and others to learn from your example how to deal with conflict well in their day to day encounters.
Don’t try and guess the reason for the conflict. If you are uncertain, it is best to ask the staff member in a discreet and careful manner. Examples are:
I have felt that we have not been communicating as effectively as we ought and wondered if you were feeling the same way? Can we talk about it?
I have sensed some tension between us. I am keen to understand if I have done something to upset you or if there is something else going on that I might be able to help you with?
Avoid putting the team member ‘on the spot’. If they admit that there are issues, it may be appropriate, if they aren’t able to explain the issues or if they’re feeling flustered, to organise another time to have the conversation with them.
As you explore the issues with the team member, make sure you are moving in a positive direction. These are some general principles to bear in mind as you manage the conversation:
Invite the other person to express how they are feeling, e.g. “This is what it was like for me (say how you were feeling)… What was it like for you?”
Summarise what you have heard the other person say to ensure that you understand them correctly, e.g. “So this is what it was like for you (give summary of what you heard other person say)… Am I hearing you right?”
Propose options to constructively address issues (and seek the other person’s input), e.g. “How can we do this differently?” (and possibly) “This must change.”
If you know the reason for the conflict, make sure you explore the issues openly and calmly with the team member. This will benefit you, the team member, your team and more generally, your church members. You may want to raise the issues using these types of question:
“I feel that I may not have communicated effectively to you when I asked you to do X. I want to apologise for this. Do you mind if we have a chat about what I’ve asked you to do? We can then talk about any concerns you may have and anything you think we might be able to do differently.”
“I feel that I may have treated you harshly when I said X. I want to apologise for the way I acted. Could we meet to revisit our discussion about Y and reach a more collaborative position?”
“When you said/did X, it made me feel like I was being undermined. It may not have been your intention. I am wondering what is was like for you? Could we talk through what happened and why it made us feel the way we felt? Perhaps we can then identify some opportunities for us both to do things differently in future.”
If you are unable to manage the conflict directly, reach out for guidance and support.
Experiencing conflict related to a team member’s poor performance
Reasonable performance management in a ministry context can cause conflict, even though it is right to set proper expectations of performance and to manage performance in a reasonable way when these expectations are not met.
At times, managing the emotion associated with poor performance can be as difficult as managing the performance concerns and requires lots of prayer, compassion and patience.
Planning for the hard conversation is a loving way to prepare a person to hear hard things. Consider carefully how you would like to present the information. If relevant, share examples of what the staff member has done well before leaning in on the performance concerns that require improvement.
In legal terms, reasonable performance management or coaching that is done in a reasonable way does not constitute bullying or inappropriate behaviour. You are encouraged to reflect on the manner in which you have managed the performance issues to see if your approach may have in any way contributed to the conflict.
It is important to realise that negative feedback about performance, even if it is delivered lovingly and gently, is not pleasant. This is even more so in a ministry context, where it can feel like their faithfulness in their work for the Lord is being questioned.
The team member needs to recognise and accept that there are performance issues, and to be prepared to work with you to resolve them. Aim to be constructive, and partner with the team member to identity the ways to help improve their performance. Refer to the section ‘Managing Underperformance’ for a structured approach to performance management.
Acknowledging that this is a difficult process for the team member, and that you are available to help and support the team member is also important (in word and deed).
If the conflict issue is not directly due to the performance issues (e.g. relates to your communication style), then the two of you will also need to work together on an approach that will alleviate the conflict.
Documents in this section:
- Section 7 - Conflict in Ministry (pdf)
- How to Facilitate a Discussion Between Two Parties in Conflict (pdf)
8 - ENDING THE WORKING RELATIONSHIP
What questions should I consider before termination?
If termination of someone’s employment is foreseeable, as the senior pastor you should consider the following:
What can I do to prevent this?
What have I done to contribute to this?
If I am initiating the termination, have I followed a fair process to provide the person with reasonable opportunities to improve, repent and/or correct?
If not, why am I proceeding down this path now?
If scrutinised by the Fair Work Commission, will my decision appear harsh, unjust or unreasonable?
Is there more that I should do to ensure that I have been fair and reasonable in our dealings?
Have I spoken with the HR Partner before proceeding?
Now you’ve considered the above questions, let’s review the common ways in which employment may cease.
Resignation
Key points:
You can’t prevent someone from resigning. Employees must provide the period of notice stated in their employment contract.
As a matter of good practice, you should request all resignations be given in writing in order to avoid any misunderstanding and to facilitate a smooth transition.
Once an employee resigns from their role, they cannot withdraw their resignation, unless you agree. There may be an exception if they resign in circumstances where a reasonable person would not construe the resignation as being genuine, such as where it is given in the heat of the moment or in jest. In any event, the more loving approach in that situation may be to allow them time to cool down before discussing their intention.
Do not attempt to ‘orchestrate’ a resignation if termination is the appropriate option. This may be treated as constructive dismissal by an employee and give rise to an unfair dismissal claim (see below). It could also be perceived as bullying behaviour.
There may be certain cases where it may be loving and kind to offer the staff member the opportunity to resign (i.e. to give some dignity to their situation) but you will need to tread very carefully. If you wish to pursue this course, you should speak to the HR Partner to work out the best approach.
Dismissal with requisite notice
Key points:
If you are considering terminating someone’s employment or appointment, refer to the personal reflection questions at the start of this section. Please also contact the HR Partner before taking steps to terminate.
The Fair Work Act 2009 has procedural requirements that need to be met before an employee can be terminated. If an employee makes an unfair dismissal claim, the Fair Work Commission will examine the process of termination.
The ‘reason’ for termination must be valid. The Fair Work Commission will consider the ‘reason’ for termination in any unfair dismissal claim made by an employee (including lay pastors).
Redundancy is a form of dismissal and occurs when a person’s position ceases to exist due to genuine operational requirements and there is no other suitable position to place the person in. This may include a situation where there is insufficient funding for the role (unless this is anticipated to be a short-term issue).
If in doubt, give the HR Partner a call.
Prohibitions on Employment
Key points:
Under the child protection legislation, an ‘employee’ must be immediately removed from child-related work if they cease to hold a valid working with children check clearance or become subject to an interim or permanent bar on working with children.
Please note that ‘removal’ from a child-related work does not necessarily mean termination of employment if the person can be provided with suitable alternative employment.
Termination due to poor performance or misconduct
When seeking to end someone’s employment due to misconduct or poor performance, you must consider the following:
Is there a valid reason? If an employee is terminated and makes an unfair dismissal claim, the Fair Work Commission will assess whether the reason was valid.
If the decision relates to poor performance, have you followed a performance management process to attempt to bring about improvement? Refer to ‘Managing Underperformance’ section.
If the decision relates to misconduct, have you engaged the HR Partner to confirm you are seeking to terminate for valid reasons and that your termination would not be considered unlawful?
Have you reviewed and undertaken (as appropriate) the investigation process outlined in the ‘Bullying and Inappropriate Behaviour’ section to investigate allegations of misconduct?
Although there is a right to dismiss an employee immediately (i.e. without notice) if they engage in ‘serious misconduct’, the bar is set high. Serious misconduct may include theft, fraud, assault, intoxication and refusal to carry out a lawful and reasonable direction. Please don’t proceed until you have sought legal or HR advice.
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