10/ 03/ 2007
by Kelle Campbell
Most supervisors hate doling out discipline. The situation becomes even more troublesome when employees perceive disciplinary action as unevenly applied or as punishment rather than correction. As a result, they may concentrate on not getting caught or retaliating rather than rectifying the problem.
One proven way of correcting inappropriate or unproductive employee behavior is through a process called progressive discipline that helps employees become effectively performing staff members. Additionally, using a progressive discipline approach provides your organization with documentation that serves as a legal safety net when you have to fire workers who are unwilling to improve.
Determining progressive discipline steps
Progressive discipline uses a series of corrective actions that become increasingly formal in nature as the inappropriate behavior continues. The steps are usually the following:
- Oral warnings
- Written warnings
- Suspension
- Termination of employment
The nature or frequency of the misconduct will determine the severity of the corrective measure. A first-time minor violation of organizational rules would likely warrant an oral reminder while a serious first-time infraction would require a written reprimand or maybe even suspension. You may also decide to give a set number of oral or written warnings before progressing to the next step.
You should always be consistent when applying the process, or else employees will see it as erratic and unfair. For that same reason, you should not allow a significant period of time to elapse before you implement a corrective measure.
Counseling employees
You should include counseling in every step in the progressive discipline process. The counseling session consists of explaining to the employee how the problem behavior negatively affects coworkers or the business and your expectations for proper and productive behavior. You should also encourage an open discussion with the employee about why the behavior is occurring and what strategies could be used to amend the situation.
These counseling sessions will help employees perceive the disciplinary process as reasonable, personal motivation. For this reason, it is important to be respectful, honest and straightforward. Do not try to "soften the blow" with insincere compliments, especially since these could come back to haunt you if the employee decides on legal action.
Documenting events
Keep a written record of all incidents. Write a memo describing the actions that led to oral warnings and reporting what you said. Keep the memo in the appropriate personnel file, but you do not have to send a copy to the employee. However, set meetings or counseling sessions in which you ask the employee to read and sign written reprimands. If they refuse to sign, just mail it to their address return receipt requested and add that documentation to the file.
Document meetings or counseling sessions as soon as possible. For all types of documentation, always include details such as dates, times, places and names of all involved, including witnesses or the people who will receive copies.
Tailoring the process
State your progressive discipline steps clearly in a written policy that employees can read, and you can follow. You will have to decide for yourself which actions warrant an oral or written warning the first time around as well as how many warnings to give before progressing to the next step.
You may want to consult a lawyer or human resources professional to help you settle on the process, particularly for suspensions and employment termination. They can also help you write a progressive policy that gives you the flexibility to adjust the steps when necessary and allows you to retain the right to terminate employment at will.
