Progressive Discipline

 

Most companies use some form of progressive discipline, although they don’t necessarily call it by that name. Whether they are referred to as positive discipline programs, performance improvement plans, corrective action procedures, or some other title, these systems are all similar at their core. All are based on the principle that the company’s disciplinary response should be appropriate and proportionate to the employee’s conduct.

Using progressive discipline can help you get employees back on track: 

 

Allow managers to intervene and correct employee behavior at the first sign of trouble, enhance communication between managers and employees, help managers achieve higher performance and productivity from their employees, improve employee morale and retention by demonstrating that there are rewards for good performance and consequences for poor performance, avoid expensive replacement costs ensure consistency and fairness in dealing with employee problems, and lay the groundwork for fair, legally defensible employment termination for employees who cannot or will not improve.

 

Progressive discipline also helps you avoid the consequences of allowing workplace problems to continue unchecked. If you don’t intervene, the employee may not know that his or her behavior or actions are unacceptable. Not only will you have lost an opportunity to help the employee improve, but your company will continue to suffer the consequences of the employee’s problem, which could result in reduced productivity and profits, quality control problems, lost opportunities or customers, low employee morale, and high turnover.

 

Using progressive discipline appropriately will also help your company stay out of legal trouble. Progressive discipline requires you to let employees know what you expect, to be fair, consistent, and objective in imposing discipline, to include employees in the process of improvement, and to document your actions and decisions properly. By following these actions, you’ll ensure that employees who are unable to unwilling to improve won’t have the legal ammunition to fuel a lawsuit. And, if you are consistently respectful to employees, few of them will be motivated to sue.

 

Vision HR will provide and train your managers with a progressive discipline program so that you can address the behavior problems of your employees and get back to a productive workplace. Your managers will also be able to interact with live Human Resource professionals before, during and after and discipline activity is taking place which is part of “on the job” training for them. As they become comfortable with their role in the program they will become better at progressive discipline for your company.