Employee reprimands and disciplinary actions are often part of the job if you are a company leader or manager. There are many reasons why you may have to discipline a worker, such as performance or behavioral issues.
When you discipline or write up an employee, it is essential to go about it correctly. Otherwise, they could “retaliate” by performing worse in the future or leaving your business and going to work for a competitor.
Steps for Disciplining an Employee:
There are four key steps managers and leaders can use to discipline an employee. These include the following:
- Issuing a verbal warning
- Issuing a written warning
- Suspending the employee and creating a plan for improvement
- Terminating the individual
Issuing a Verbal Warning
The first step in the employee disciplinary process is issuing a verbal warning. For instance, if an issue arises, you should have a serious conversation with the employee(s) and make sure they understand the severity of the situation.
At this time, you should also reiterate how your company and management expect business employees to act and perform. This is also an excellent time to explain how the employee’s behavior and performance are not measuring up to these expectations.
It is vital to lay out the facts directly, so the individual(s) does not feel you are subjecting them to bias. In this case, it can also be beneficial if you allow the employee the opportunity to explain things from their perspective.
As you conclude this conversation, you must explain to the individual(s) that you have taken note of the conversation, and if they do not show improvement, you will continue by writing them an official warning and submitting it to the Human Resources Department. Ensure that you also document the date, time, and location of the conversation you had with the employee, the topics you discussed, and any of the terms you agreed upon.
Issuing a Written Warning
If the employee continues to cause problems, the next step in the disciplinary process is to issue them a written warning. Again, begin with a fully documented conversation and present the reasons why the individual’s behavior is problematic. In addition, you can offer them reasons why things need to change.
Include the specific problems and how the employee can improve or fix them. It is also necessary to let the employee know the consequences of not complying. Finally, end the conversation by providing the individual with a copy of the written warning. You should also provide your Human Resources Department with a copy of the warning for their records.
Suspending the Employee and Creating a Plan for Improvement
Sometimes, verbal and written warnings are not enough to create the necessary change from the employee. Therefore, the third step in the disciplinary process is to suspend the individual. This involves asking the employee to leave the premises and creating an action plan for improvement.
Doing so allows the individual to think about their behavior and decide whether they wish to remain with your company. A vital component of the action plan is outlining milestones that the employee is expected to achieve, provided they decide to stay.
It can help if you include timelines in your improvement plan and for the completion of each milestone. If the employee fails or refuses to improve, the next step is to take steps to terminate them.
Terminating the Individual
If you have followed all the steps above and the employee is still not showing any improvement (or willingness to improve), termination is the final step in the process. The conversations you documented in the first three steps should provide enough evidence to support your case.
You should start by notifying anyone in your company who needs to know, such as the Human Resources Department and the appropriate manager(s). It may be necessary for one or more other individuals to sign off on the employee’s termination. Even though terminating an employee is never easy or pleasant, it can help ensure that you, your coworkers, and other managers do not have to face similar issues again in the future.
How to Properly Write Up a Warning
Writing up a warning can be tricky. One reason for this is that different issues could require differing levels of discipline. For example, minor employee offenses may only warrant a conversation that restates the problem and expectations going forward.
However, moderate employee offenses can take more authoritative force, such as a verbal and written warning, particularly if the employee has not made any improvements since the first conversation.
You may have to suspend the employee if there is a serious transgression. In some instances, the Human Resources Department may have to investigate the action(s) that caused the employee to become suspended. Based on what Human Resources or management discovered during this investigation, the offending individual(s) could be terminated from the company.
In all of these transactions, it is essential that you be specific regarding the issues discussed with the employee and that you also document the date(s) and time(s) the conversations took place and the topic(s) of the conversation you discussed.
Do Your Company’s Disciplinary Actions Need Improvement?
Your business should have a specific process for disciplining employees who are not performing to standard or disrupting the workplace in other ways, such as through unprofessional behavior.
If your company has not yet created a process for employee discipline, you must implement one so workers will know when they cross the line. When you outline your plan, it can help if you work with a human resources specialist. That way, you can better ensure that you are not leaving any important elements out.
