Employee Discipline

1. Employee Discipline Nancy R. Hudson

2. Overview • Used as necessary • Not avoided • Tempered with compassion and understanding • Management tool used for employee development • Termination is final step

3. Purpose of Employee Discipline • Improve work environment • Improve performance • Punishment is not the purpose • Purpose: • To encourage a worker to replace an inappropriate behavior with a more appropriate behavior that contributes to a safe, pleasant, and productive workplace.

4. Typical Reasons for Disciplining Employees • Tardiness • Absenteeism • Insubordination • Negligence • Fighting • Stealing • Falsification of documents • Abusiveness • Harassment • Use of obscene language • Possession of controlled substance • Reporting to work under the influence of alcohol or other controlled drug • Substance abuse • Infractions of published work rules • Low productivity • High error rate, overall • Repetition of a specific error

5. Purpose of Employee Discipline • Misuse of Discipline • “Get even with” or “Get ride of” employees • Avoiding conflicts • Termination • Unsettling to group • Confidentiality • Approach with consistency and fairness

6. Organizational Policy and Procedure • Human Resources department • Policy and Procedures (P&P) Manual • Written Disciplinary P&P • Ensure consistency among managers • Protection for employees

7. Organizational Policy and Procedure • Components of Policies and Procedures • Policy Statement • Purpose • Scope • Procedure • Example:

8. Policy In order to provide a safe and positive workplace for all, employees are expected to comply with standards of conduct and performance while on the job. When standards are not met, progressive discipline will be used as a way of encouraging an employee to meet the standards.

9. Purpose This policy serves as a means to deal with problems related to poor performance or inappropriate conduct. It is to be administered equitably and consistently, with emphasis on correcting the problem rather than on punishing the employee.

10. Scope All nonsupervisory staff.

11. Procedure • The manager will meet with the employee to discuss the behavior or performance problem that has been identified. This interview will take place within five days of the most recent event. • If this problem recurs within 90 days, the manager will have a second interview with the employee, during which a written warning will be issued and placed in the employee’s file. The written warning will be issued within five days of the event described in the written warning.

12. Procedure Continued 3. If there is another occurrence of this problem within six months of the date of the written warning, the manager will suspend the employee for two to four days without pay. The suspension must be initiated within five days of the incident that led to the suspension.

13. Procedure continued 4. If this problem recurs within a year of the date of the suspension, the employee will be terminated. Termination must occur within five days of the incident that led to termination.

14. The Disciplinary Process • Verbal Warning • Written Warning • Suspension • Termination

15. Guidelines for Terminating an Employee Do: • Get all necessary approvals • Complete the paperwork first • Keep the message brief • Schedule the termination in the morning • Allow yourself time to recover Don’t: • Terminated someone on Friday • Terminate someone of the day before a holiday • Terminate someone who is on vacation • Phrase the reason for termination in personal terms • Expect the employee to behave rationally

16. Grounds for Immediate Termination • Physical endangerment of others • Consuming alcohol while on the job • Using controlled substances while on the job • Willful destruction of property • Possession of firearms while on work premises • Unauthorized disclosure of confidential information • Stealing • Falsification of documents • Reporting to work under the influence of alcohol or controlled substances

17. Documentation • Anecdotal information • Notes about encounters with employees • Not part of formal records • Optional • May be subpoenaed for legal purposes • Should be dated • System should be applied to all employees • Can be used for other purposes

18. Documentation • Official Documentation • Follow P&P • Critical components: • Employee’s identifying information • Manager’s identifying information • Behavioral or performance problem • Description of events and discussions preceding action • Description of specific events leading to action • Possible consequences if problem is not corrected • Duration of the warning • Signature of the manager • Signature of the employee, with disclaimer regarding agreement

19. Employee Assistance Programs • May be used to deal with disciplinary problems • Common for substance abuse problems • Can be required part of disciplinary action

20. Employee Grievances • Grievance P&P for organization • Typical procedure: • Discuss problem with supervisor or manager • Present issue to manager’s superior • Grievance committee • CEO

21. Typical Reasons for Employee Grievances • Disagreement over wages • Inequitable work schedules • Disagreement over hours of work • Unfair conditions of employment • Discrimination against worker • Harassment of a worker • Inconsistent performance standards • Inappropriate use of disciplinary process

22. Activity • Work in groups of 3 or 4 • Complete Activities 4 & 5 on the handouts provided • Submit one copy of your responses per group