Running head DISCIPLINARY PROCESS 1 Disciplinary Process HRM 323 DISCIPLINARY PROCESS 2 Disciplinary Process All managers in our company undergo employee employer relationship training in an effort to equip managers for every situation including progressive discipline Discipline can be a particularly challenging area for manager to navigate Therefore we provide a clear disciplinary process for our managers to adhere to This process is in place to properly handle situations dealing with employees job related behavior that does not meet expected and communicated performance standards The primary purpose for progressive discipline is to assist the employee to understand that a performance problem or opportunity for improvement exists About com n d Over the years we have tried other methods and find that progressive discipline has been the most successful easiest to follow and easiest to train Progressive discipline has enabled us to focus on fair non disruptive non emotional disciplinary concerns Prior to originating this training many of our managers dealt with disciplinary issues in a cursory manner or even avoided disciplinary issues altogether We found this lead to some serious legal issues both for the organization and for the individuals concerned Since our employees are unionized we found that using a step by step process decreased the number of grievances brought by the union for discrimination and harassment disputes Litigation is costly time consuming inefficient and unsatisfactory for all concerned Goodwin Griffith 2007 p 4 There are various employee behaviors that managers need to deal with We always advise speaking one on one to the employee to see if there are extenuating external or internal circumstances that might be driving the behavior Approaching a possible disciplinary situation with an empathic ear may save your relationship with the employee and begin the process of restoring him as a productive worker Goodwin Griffith 2007 p 7 DISCIPLINARY PROCESS 3 Be prepared before initiating any disciplinary actions Have supporting documentation organized and a satisfactory outcome in mind before beginning The steps that are taken in between beginning and end should be compatible with our company policies and our organizational philosophy explained At the first disciplinary meeting be certain that the following items procedures have been Specific actions for correcting behaviors are discussed Be sure to approach this in a supportive atmosphere Goodwin Griffith 2007 p 269 This makes the employee a part of the solution and they might be more agreeable to finding specific methods for bringing about change Everything should be in writing including the dates for each action to be accomplished The employee should sign this agreement Also indicate who will monitor the progress and how the progress will be monitored Consequences The consequences for failure should also be discussed at the initial meeting Employees must not be surprised by any action that the company policies include For this reason you must know the employee procedures and policies completely Although it may seem that our form of progressive discipline is too rigid to allow any supervisorial changes in discipline we have policies in place should a supervisor deem some varying from the company standard is warranted For example we have various progressive discipline processes for selecting the consequences based on the facts and severity of the situation DISCIPLINARY PROCESS 4 We use a four step procedure 1 Verbal Warning there is no set number of verbal warnings that may be issued 2 Written Warning this is fairly formal document and we have developed standard forms which give specifics as to violation supporting documents and action plan for improvement 3 Suspension we have suspensions which vary between a day and two plus weeks There may be more than one suspension usually escalating in length 4 Termination there must be proper documentation if this action is taken showing that all previous steps and offers to the employee have been faithfully undertaken by us It is here that we send this to HR to double check that this termination is consistent with any other termination under similar circumstances All managers need to remember that we are seeking a change in the behavior of the employee in a positive manner We wish to retain employees that we have trained and who are part of our company family This is not a process that we undertake lightly and is rigorously documented Be sure to allow sufficient time for the employee to improve their performance A good manager will have checkpoints to meet with the employee to discuss specific parts of the process In addition managers need to remember that this type of investigatory and procedural process must be undertaken in a highly professional manner There can never be any hint of personal interest in a disciplinary procedure You must maintain your objectivity Be consistent and always be on guard for situations that might indicate you or the employee are being DISCIPLINARY PROCESS 5 discriminatory Never make any promises to the employee outside of the company policy Employees do however appreciate honesty from their supervisors References About com n d Progressive Disciplinary Action Retrieved from http humanresources about com od discipline Progressive Disciplinary Action htm Goodwin C Griffith D 2007 The Conflict Survival Kit Tools for Resolving Conflict at Work Upper Saddle River NJ Pearson Education