Managing Employee Discipline

The purpose of discipline is to encourage employees to behave sensibly at. Sensible means adhering to rules and regulations (Whatishumanresource.com, 2022). 

Discipline is very necessary when an employee violates a rule 

Proper disciplinary procedures are important for several reasons. For one thing, positive employee relations requires trust, and few personnel actions will undermine trust as will arbitrary discipline. Legal concerns are another reason. One study surveyed 45 published arbitration awards in which tardiness had triggered discipline and/or discharge. When arbitrators overturned employers' decisions, it was usually because of inadequate disciplinary procedures for example, the employer had failed to clarify what "Tardy" meant. Unfair disciplinary procedures can backfire in other ways. For example, it is hard to be seen as ethical when disciplinary actions are unfair (Campbell, et al., 1995). 

Three pillars of fair discipline 

Disciplining employees is often unavoidable, but any such discipline should be rooted in the need to ne fair. fairness, in a way, means that the principles of natural justice are upheld during the entire process. The organization builds a fair discipline process on three pillars;

1. Rules and regulations
2. A system of progressive penalties
3. An appeals process    (Mayor, 2009).

RULES AND REGULATIONS

An acceptable disciplinary process begins with a set of clear disciplinary rules and regulations. The rules should cover problems such as theft, destruction of company property, drinking on the job, and insubordination. 

Poor performance is not acceptable. Each employee is expected to perform his or her work properly and efficiently and to meet established standards of quality. 

"Excellence is one of the five core values that an employee is expected to install in themselves" - Values of Infosys' Code of Conduct and Ethics

Alcohol and drugs do not mix with work. The use of either during working hours and reporting for work under the influence of either are both strictly prohibited. 

The purpose of these rules is to inform employees ahead time what is and is not acceptable behavior. It is better to tell employees preferably n  writing, what is not permitted. The employee orientation handbook should contain the rules and regulations. 

PENALITIES

A system of progressive penalties is the second pillar of effective discipline. Hence, offences are classified as minor offences and major offences. The severity of the penalty usually depends on the offence and the number of times it has occurred. 

Example: For the first unexcused lateness- warnings are issued

                But for the forth offense, the usual disciplinary actions may be initiated. 

APPEALS PROCESS

Third, an appeals process should be part of disciplinary process. the aim is to ensure that supervisors mete out discipline fairly. 

Example: FedEx guaranteed fair treatment multistep program

An appeals process is essential but is no panacea. The employer can sometimes mitigate the effects of unfair discipline by catching it during an appeal. However some supervisory behavior may be impossible to overcome. 

Example: Behaviors that attack the employee's personal and /or social identity are difficult to remedy. 

Additional Readings

Guide to Disciplinary Actions for Management and HR

References

• Campbell,
 

D. N. 

• Fleming, 

R. L. and

 Grote R. C. (1995). Discipline without punishment- At last. Harward Business Review. [Online] Available at: https://hbr.org/1985/07/discipline-without-punishment-at-last [Accessed on: 

9th August, 2022].

Whatishumanresource.com, (2022). Employee Discipline. Whatishumanresource.com [Online] Available at: https://www.whatishumanresource.com/employee-discipline [Accessed on: 29th August, 2022].

Mayer, D. M. Greenbaum, R. L. Kuenzi, M. and Shteynberg, G. (2009). When do fair procedures not matter? A test of the identity violation effect. Journal of Applied Psychology, 94(1), p.142. [Online]. Availble at: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Maribeth-Kuenzi/publication/23971040_When_Do_Fair_Procedures_Not_Matter_A_Test_of_the_Identity_Violation_Effect/links/55d483e508ae7fb244f7b198/When-Do-Fair-Procedures-Not-Matter-A-Test-of-the-Identity-Violation-Effect.pdf [Accessed on: 29th August, 2022].