Friday, October 18, 2013

All About Employee Discipline And The Written Warning


by Gregory Covey


It's definitely a tricky meeting when the subject is about disciplinary conduct, so understanding the rules of conduct is crucial. All of this depends on what the problem at hand really is, such as, poor conduct, poor performance or a blatant disrespect of the the rules. Whatever the case, a written warning letter is an all important necessity to begin the procedure.

Arrange for a manager or supervisor to conduct an investigation about the details. This might involve interviewing witnesses, getting signatures on statements, and checking proof, like emails, etc. In a smaller company there might not be a second manager, so it could be up to the one.

Examining the rule book is key to ensuring the investigation is lawful. One must examine which rules were tampered with or flat out broken. Ensure there were no other disciplinary warnings issued to the employee. Do not forget to mention the purpose of the meeting and what allegations are against them. Also, state that they have a right to be accompanied by a witness.

Make sure that any statements made by others are photocopied and attached to the letter addressed to said employee and anyone else involved in the investigation. A note taker should also be present, but he or she must be a neutral party. When the meeting is in session, state its nature right at the start. Explain the rights of the employee and that he/she understands them well. Also note whether there is a companion accompanying the employee.

Follow-up expressing the accusations and then any existing evidence. Create an environment in which a calm discussion takes place. Consider any evidence the worker has presented and make sure the companion is asked to comment. Once the matter is discussed, adjourn the meeting and consider everything. Consider the person's worker history before reaching a decision. A two- or three-time offender may be handled more seriously than someone having a clean record. Gross misconduct, however, is handled exactly the same way, regardless, and it is thus done with dismissal.

Reconvene the meeting after a day or two, given that no further investigation is necessary. Advise the employee of the decision. Remind the employee of their right to appeal. Write a letter confirming the decision, including the disciplinary warning, a demotion, suspension and so on or confirmation of the fact that no disciplinary sanction will be applied.

The letter should be accompanied by all notes from the meeting. Advise the employee that he/she has the right to appeal, and discuss the manner in which it is to be done. Acting quickly and properly can ensure that the situation is under control and prohibits the formation of poor habits among the team and the entire organization.

If all this appears a little overpowering, don't hesitate to ask the HR department for assistance. For more help, warning letter examples are easy to come by. If there already isn't a written warning procedure, it should be implemented immediately.




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