In a couple of recent blog posts, we’ve been discussing the subject of employee discipline in the workplace. This is understandably a touchy subject for managers and employees alike.
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Nobody wants to end up in a situation when an employee needs to be disciplined, but it happens, and businesses need to maintain their policies and a safe, productive workplace.
In our first post on this topic, we discussed establishing policies related to employee discipline and making sure they are clear, fair, and transparent. In the second post, we discussed the appropriate tone and approach to take when those policies are violated. Here, we look at the concept of escalation in the employee discipline process.
Progressive Discipline
Escalation in employee discipline is often referred to as “progressive discipline.” Progressive discipline involves increasingly severe consequences for continued violations of company rules or policies—whether these are multiple incidences of the same violation or multiple, unrelated violations. Typical escalation steps include verbal warning, written warning, final warning or probation, suspension or reassignment, and termination.
Documentation
When escalating employee discipline, it’s important that progressive disciplinary steps and the reasons behind them are well-documented. As Theresa Guy-Tippie writes for Insperity, “It’s not enough to keep a detailed journal of every time an employee calls in sick on Monday, or every time two employees argue. For that information to be effective, you must communicate that you’ve noticed a trend and the behavior is troublesome.”
Legal Considerations
Employers need to be cognizant of applicable laws and regulations that may impact employee discipline, particularly as the consequences escalate. You don’t want to find yourself in a situation where you are fined or sued for terminating an employee for some protected behavior or status. It’s important to consult with legal or HR resources before implementing and enforcing company disciplinary policies.
Employee discipline is a necessary evil in many workplaces. In several blog posts, we’ve discussed the importance of setting clear policies, the appropriate tone and approach to take with employee discipline, and when and how to escalate.
Throughout all of these topics, we’ve tried to focus on a key theme: It’s important to remember that the goal of employee discipline should rarely, if ever, be punishment. Instead, the goal is to ensure company policies are followed and that employees can learn and grow from transgressions.