Progressive Disciplinary Action

No one wants to hear that their performance is less than expected. After counseling and coaching from a manager yield no improvement, however, written disciplinary actions must begin - to protect the company's interests - and to protect the interests of the employee. Employees are uncomfortable with disciplinary actions such as an employee...

Progressive discipline catches an employee's attention, and when effective, helps the employee improve some aspect of his or her work. Find out more about progressive discipline.

Disciplinary action is sometimes necessary when an employee's behavior is negatively impacting his or her work, his or her coworkers' work, or the workplace. This disciplinary warning form documents the discipline warning. This disciplinary warning form also documents and records the coaching or counseling discussion that accompanied the discipline warning.

Letters of reprimand are written by the supervisor to provide an official statement of a performance problem that an employee must improve. Letters of reprimand are often a step in the formal disciplinary action process that can result in additional disciplinary action for the employee up to and including employment termination if the employee...

Looking for a format that's a winner when you want to help an underperforming employee succeed? The purpose of a formal Performance Improvement Plan is to help an employee succeed. This format enables you to set goals, establish measures, conduct review sessions and chart progress. Not convinced of the need for this procedure? Check out my introduction to the form. You'll be happy you did.

A reprimand is an official notice to an employee, either verbal or written, that his or her performance is failing in some expected component. The reprimand is provided following the failure of informal supervisory coaching to help the employee improve. A reprimand is serious business.

This sample reprimand letter will serve as a guide as you prepare reprimand letters. Use this sample reprimand letter when the performance of your employee warrants a formal, official, documented employee reprimand. Here is a sample reprimand letter.

Supervisors issue a verbal warning to an employee when poor performance warrants a disciplinary action more significant than supervisory counseling. Find out more about a verbal warning.

This sample written reprimand is issued to a non-performing employee so that he or she understands the gravity of the problem that the failure to perform is creating. In a role that requires consistent attendance, this written reprimend corrects the behavior of a tardy employee. See the sample written reprimand.

When an employee receives progressive discipline, what can you tell his or her coworkers? After all, they're probably wondering what went on.

The first step in any effort to improve employee performance is counseling or coaching. Use effective counseling techniques to minimize the need for progressive discipline.

Documentation is the written record of employees actions, discussion, performance coaching, witnessed policy violations, disciplinary action, positive contributions, reward and recognition, employee contributions, and more. Documentation allows the employer or employee to preserve a written record of the happenings and discussions that occurred around a specific event. Learn more about documentat…

Most supervisors dislike taking disciplinary action almost as much or more than they dislike doing traditional performance appraisals. Employees dislike disciplinary action even more than supervisors. Here's a guide to minimizing the need for disciplinary action.

A deadbeat employee is an employer's nightmare. You know the occasional employee I am talking about. He doesn't show up for work, calls in sick, and milks the time off policy, always walking on the edge, but never falling off. He walks the edge of the work policies and processes, too. He does just enough to stay employed but doesn't grow...

Progressive discipline is used as a method to help an employee improve his performance. Sometimes it works and sometimes you end up terminating the individual's employment. Here's how to legally and ethically terminate employment.

Managers cite firing employees as the job they most hate to do. Sometimes, terminating a staff person’s employment is the best step to take for your organization. Sometimes terminating a person’s employment is the kindest action you can take for the person. In some circumstances, firing an employee is an immediate necessity for the safety and...

"An employee with a tremendous amount of knowledge is tremendously bitter and angry all the time. She is very good at her job. She also believes everyone else is incompetent at theirs. This person used to have a leadership position..."

Employees spend between one and three hours a day surfing the Web on personal business at work, depending on the study reviewed. Since most studies depend on employee self-reported data, this productivity loss, combined with the concerns employers have for "where" their employees are surfing the Web at work, causes more employers to monitor employee use of the Internet. From the survey results, 66% of employers are monitoring Internet connections. Learn more.

Absences and tardies are the incidents that occur when an employee is absent or not present at work during a normally scheduled work period. Read more.

Absenteeism is usually addressed through progressively stricter disciplinary measures that can result in the termination of the individual's employment.

Details employers have considered when firing an employee have changed in recent years due to online resources. Employers believed that it was unkind to fire an employee on Friday because the employee would be unable to weekend job search. The times they are a’changing, but some things never change. It’s still important to develop a solid...

Absenteeism costs billions of dollars for business each year. Develop an effective attendance policy that includes rewards and recognition as well as disciplinary action. Make sure the attendance policy is fairly and consistently applied.

Need a sample letter to use when you terminate an employee for a reason? This sample letter of termination states the cause and confirms that the employment relationship is terminated. Use this sample letter of termination as a final step in progressive discipline.

Know how to communicate with employees in a disciplinary action situation? You need to communicate disciplinary action in a timely, straightforward, positive manner, just as you would communicate praise. Find out more.