How to discipline employees

Deal with the issue

Dealing with performance or behavioural problems is one of the least appealing aspect of management. not dealing with the situation is not fair to the rest of the team, or to the individual who will never know about thier performance or what they need to do to improve.

The thought of confrontation and having to make harsh decisions means some managers can be reluctant when it comes to disciplining staff, but problems at work must be addressed if you want to be effective as a manager.

Handle the situation well and the employee who is disruptive, guilty of misconduct or underperforming could soon be back on track and adhering to acceptable standards of behaviour.

But if handled badly, the problem will persist and you could even be left facing legal bills and compensation payouts for wrongful or unfair dismissal.

Do your homework

Adequate preparation is fundamental to determining that any ruling made over an employee’s conduct is even-handed and consistent. Check the employment contract and go through previous disciplinary and service record.

Any allegation of wrongdoing, improper behaviour or poor performance must be thoroughly investigated: collect facts, including written statements and corroborative evidence that can be used, if necessary, in subsequent proceedings. Check out whether there have been previous comparable cases and their outcome.

Remember your aim is not to have preconceived ideas but to treat the employee reasonably and in a fair and objective manner at all times. The objective in the first instance is to uncover the facts. What can seem at first sight like a piece of outrageous conduct by one individual can transpire to be an understandable, if inappropriate, response to an historical catalogue of unacceptable provocation.

Take a step back and stay calm

Emotions can ride high in a situation such as this and with someone’s career likely to be heavily impacted by a disciplinary procedure, it is advisable to implement a cooling off period so decisions aren’t made in the heat of the moment. Arrange a meeting in one or two days time to decide on the best next step for everyone.

Abide by the rules

Line managers need to be familiar with their organisation’s general discipline and grievance policy. In most cases, organisations will have a progressive disciplinary programme, for a first breach the individual would receive a verbal warning, for the next a written warning, and so on. contact your HR department if you are not sure about the systems.

not sticking to the rules could be grounds for unfair dismissal.

The disciplinary hearing

Appoint an appropriate chairperson who hasn’t been involved in the investigation.  A second manager, possibly from HR, should also be present to take notes and any follow up actions.

While no two disciplinary interviews will be identical, it is necessary to keep to a typical framework. Start by stating the reason why the interview is taking place and how it will proceed. It is important to set the right tone to convey the seriousness of the matter while making the employee feel as much as possible at ease in what is likely to be a strained environment. Detail the incident or allegation along with any supporting evidence and be precise about times and dates.

The employee or their representative should then be allowed to speak to defend the charges before calling any witnesses to give their accounts. All parties should be questioned carefully to arrive at a clear picture of the facts as well as of any potential wider issues involved.

The meeting should then be adjourned to consider the evidence in full and to discuss any points raised before reaching a decision on whether any action is necessary.

To find out more about how to management staff performance study one of our management qualifications.