Employees’ unwanted behaviors call for disciplinary actions. Certain behaviors will have to face some discipline along the way. The issue here is, employers or managers have to go through this process without faulting or making mistakes.

Whether or not a rule was violated, certain disciplinary processes will have to be followed before a final conclusion can be made. And without going through this process, you might violate state and federal laws.

In this article, we look at the disciplinary action meaning and easy ways to handle disciplinary actions to avoid making serious mistakes.

What is disciplinary action?

Disciplinary action is a process organized to halt the behaviors of an employee that are violating the policies of an organization. These behaviors could be serious or less severe. They might include poor performance, stealing, bullying, destruction of a company’s property, and so on. This process is usually organized to inform the employee of the situation, determine the truth, and make a final decision. Many countries advise organizations to set these up before they decide to fire an employee.

Easy Ways to Handle Disciplinary Actions

If an employee defaults, then HR disciplinary action is required, and each step of the process must be carefully implemented. Now that you understand the disciplinary action meaning, you’ll need to know the easy ways to handle disciplinary actions. These include:

Visit your Handbook

Firstly, you must have a handbook in place. It should be written properly too. This handbook must detail the rules and regulations that every employee must abide by while working at your company. It should also include the consequences they will face if they fail to obey. Before anything else, you must ensure that your handbook is in line with the state or federal laws governing the business space. You can ask HR to go over the document to ensure that no bias or unfair actions are included. Once you are certain all of these are intact, you can review your employee’s behavior based on your handbook’s rules.

Discuss with the Employee

The next thing you want to do is have a meeting with the employee. Here, you’ll inform them of the issue at hand and all they need to know. You can ask questions regarding the topic and also give them room to explain themselves. Depending on the issue, you can advise them and let them know how you plan to assist them going forward.

Document Everything

Suppose you end up firing the employee, they might decide to raise a claim. That is why you must always document all of the processes during that time. Keep records of their performance and any documents that involve agreements. Always keep receipts for whatever has been discussed with the employee.

Talk to Witnesses

Depending on the case, your HR disciplinary action might be different. For situations regarding theft, bullying, and so on, you will have to hear from the employee and other people who witnessed the scene too. Give each of them room to explain privately before you make any decisions.

Follow Up

You’ll need to stay up-to-date with the employee regarding the matter. If there is a problem with their job performance, then you need to check how they are progressing. You can involve HR during this period and also ask for advice. If differences are noted, ensure you document them.

Set Up PIP

As earlier said, depending on the issue at hand, this step might not be necessary. A performance issue might require you to organize a performance improvement plan for your employee if nothing changes after talking to them. You should also inform them about the timeframe they have to get back on their feet and what consequences they will face if they don’t.

Have a Board Meeting

Another step will be to discuss the entire situation with other members of the disciplinary committee, including HR. You’ll need to provide all the documents used in the process and discuss all that has been observed.

Make a Final Decision

The last part of the disciplinary phase is where a final decision is made. An employee might be dismissed if nothing changes after the PIP or if they are found guilty of the severe cases. Other conclusions might involve a suspension or demotion, depending on the degree of the issue. However, this decision must be made after the above processes have been conducted.

Conclusion

Disciplinary actions are taken when employees go against a company’s policy. Conducting one is not always easy, but with the steps mentioned above, it can be achieved.

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