Employee Discipline and Documentation Go Hand in Hand

01/29/08

When it comes to employee performance and discipline, there’s one best practice that comes before them all: Document everything. In the eyes of the law, if it’s not in writing, it didn’t happen.
 
Documentation for disciplinary actions should include:
• A clear statement of the problem
• A statement of your expectations
• The consequences of not meeting your expectations (with goals and dates)
• A schedule for follow-up
• A memo for the employee to sign acknowledging he/she understands the contents of your meeting

Progressive Discipline
 
Progressive discipline is a technique rooted in the belief that discipline is a learning opportunity.
 
In progressive discipline, each step in the process more strongly encourages change and is accompanied by progressively greater consequences. These steps may include verbal counseling (which should be documented in the employee’s file with the date and details), a first written warning, a second written warning with a short suspension, and finally, if no improvement has been made and consequences have been outlined, termination.
 
Keep in mind that progressive discipline is not appropriate in every situation (e.g., theft or violence), and company policy should give management discretion to deviate from these steps to address serious disciplinary matters.

The ComplyRight™ Downloadable Employee Warning Notice captures accurate, thorough documentation to justify discipline or termination, and is an effective way to manage and correct performance problems.