Numerous employment discrimination suits arise from either disciplinary action or discharge decisions. It is important for employers to have in place appropriate disciplinary procedures to reduce their exposure to lawsuits. Disciplinary procedures, if applied consistently and fairly, are also key to enforcing company rules and policies and placing employers in a good position to defend against claims from employees. In addition, employees are typically happier when they know their employers’ expectations. A well-drafted disciplinary policy sets forth the company’s expectations of its employees. Consequently, a disciplinary policy applied consistently results in better employee morale, which ultimately leads to increased employee productivity.
An established employee discipline policy is essential to the success of employee disciplinary procedures. While discipline policies vary with regard to the specifics of prohibited conduct and the amount of discretion given to supervisors (in terms of deciding how to discipline an employee), it is important that all discipline policies be administered fairly and consistently and communicated effectively to employees. The goal of a disciplinary policy is to correct deficient performance, not to punish the employee.
A progressive discipline...
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