The New Brunswick Small Business HR CONNEXION

Don’t wait until you have a problem to plan your progressive discipline program. Having a pre-defined process for discipline will help your company have a more desirable outcome when dealing with an unpleasant workplace issue.

The following tips should help:

Make sure that employees receive, read and sign a copy of your company’s rules and policies. Put the signed copies in their personnel files.

Keep your expectations about job performance and duties known to your employees. Manage performance on a daily basis, and conduct regular performance reviews.

Start a process to correct behavior as soon as the problem or behaviour occurs. Do not “let this one slide.”

Apply your discipline process fairly and objectively.

Be clear about the problem. Investigate the incident or situation before making a judgment or starting a discipline process.

Don’t use this process to avoid termination for cause. If the offense has been identified in your company policies as one for which an employee will face termination, using a disciplinary process will undermine the credibility of your company and set an unfavorable precedent.

Inform employees why they are being disciplined and give them opportunities to respond to the problem.

Document all disciplinary actions, whether oral or written.

Have employees sign the disciplinary documents and keep a copy in their files.

Be well prepared for all disciplinary interviews in advance and bring the documentation to the interview.

Hold all disciplinary discussions in private, preferably with the employee and the direct supervisor.

For all stages of progressive discipline, be sure to identify what the problem is, why it is a problem, what the desired performance or behaviour is, and what will happen if the performance or behavior is not corrected in the time allotted.

Be specific and factual – record details such as times, dates, names, places, problem descriptions, actions agreed upon, and the date and time for a follow-up. Specific statements are easier to prove if the employee disputes the claim.

Describe the events as they happen and back up conclusions with your observations and the observations of other employees, if possible.

Be cool and calm – do not let anger or frustration come across in your discussions or your documentation. Be as objective and factual as possible.