Although the university is an at-will employer and may terminate the employment relationship at any time and for any reason, our employment policy, as stated in the Staff Handbook, is “designed to give each employee a full opportunity for ... success”. To this end, the university uses a positive discipline process to address job-related behavior that does not meet expected and communicated performance standards.
Managers are encouraged to consult with their department HR coordinator or HR Business Partners when considering the discipline of an employee.
The goal of the positive discipline process is to improve performance by helping the employee understand that a performance problem or opportunity for improvement exists. Positive discipline is most successful when it assists an individual to become an effective member of the university. Failing that, positive discipline enables the organization to fairly, and with substantial documentation, terminate the employment of employees who are unable or unwilling to improve.NOTE: While the components of positive discipline may appear to be "progressive", where one action must come before another, managers should not interpret this guidance to require that each and every situation must follow the same progression. Some circumstances may require more severe discipline, up to and including discharge, while a progressive approach is appropriate for other situations.
Contact HR: Managers are encouraged to consult with their department HR coordinator or HR Business Partners when considering the discipline of an employee.
Most would agree that it is unreasonable to hold someone accountable for what they don't know. Managers must clearly communicate expectations and requirements to employees during the probationary period and whenever there are changes.
Performance expectations generally fall into one or more of the following categories:
Work requirements often speak to the manner in which work is done and reflects the organization's values. As examples, customer service, accountability, and respect will be values for all staff functions within the University.
This step is usually undertaken to counsel the employee about performance and to determine his or her understanding of work requirements.
In issuing a verbal reminder, the supervisor will:
An employee receiving a verbal reminder is expected to:
Documentation of verbal reminder
The template for documenting a verbal reminder may be found in the section below.
Generally, the verbal reminder outlines the problem and the corrective measures that the employee is expected to take. This discussion should also include a warning that points out the consequences to the employee should they fail to comply with the corrective measures discussed.
If, after the verbal reminder stage, the employee’s performance is still not acceptable, a written reminder may be warranted, formalizing a discussion between a supervisor and an employee about a performance deficiency.
The written reminder does not contain negative generalizations about the employee’s character nor should it contain any language that may be construed as offensive or insulting.
Documentation of Written Reminder
The template for documenting the written reminder may be found in the section below.
Termination can be very difficult for the employee and requires confidentiality, respect, and compassion on the part of the supervisor.
The steps to be taken on the day that an employee is notified of his or her termination should be carefully planned.
Where: Choose the location for the termination meeting carefully.
When: If possible, be sensitive to issues and important dates in the employee's life and choose a day that will minimize stress on the employee.
What: Collect/prepare the necessary documents in advance.
How: Be brief and get to the point.
Documentation of employee discharge
The following may not apply in every situation, but it is appropriate for a manager to evaluate an employee's record as objectively as possible by asking these or similar questions.
Documentation of discipline is not an exercise in tact and diplomacy. Communicating gaps between expectations and actual performance should be
General statements, such as "The employee is always late" are difficult to substantiate. A record of the dates the employee was late and the times the employee arrived is much more useful in documenting the extent of the problem and why correction is required.
"Edna has a bad attitude" is a conclusion.
The facts are
"James appeared intoxicated" is a conclusion.
The facts are
Avoid these common errors in discipline documentation:
