The Progressive Discipline policy outlines the steps we will take to address an employee’s misconduct. We acknowledge that people make mistakes, and our employees may not always follow our policies closely. When possible, we want to give our employees the opportunity to correct their behavior and assist them in the process. Furthermore, we want to ensure that we thoroughly investigate and handle serious offenses.
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Step 1: - Managers or HR should privately issue a verbal warning to an employee who has committed misconduct. They should also provide the employee with a copy of the company policy they violated and explain the progressive discipline steps. Additionally, supervisors should offer any coaching or advice that the employee needs to correct their behavior. Employees have two weeks to correct their behavior before step 2 is implemented.
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Step 2: - A manager (or HR if appropriate) discusses corrective actions with the employee. Employees should receive actionable feedback on how to deal with unintentional violations, and they can review coaching or mentoring methods. Employees have one month to correct their behavior before step 3 takes effect.
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Step 3: - Employees receive a formal written reprimand. HR should inform them that if they do not correct their behavior within one week, step 4 will take effect.
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Step 4: - HR, the employee’s department head, and/or their supervisor will hold a formal disciplinary meeting with the employee. Employees will have the opportunity to explain their side, and HR will investigate. HR must clarify that this is the final step before an employee is penalized. Employees must correct their behavior immediately, or step 5 takes effect.
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Step 5: - This step includes any penalties that employees will receive. This typically involves the removal of certain perks and benefits (as long as they are not mandatory by law.) For serious offenses, it may also include suspension without pay or demotion. Counseling will still be provided in this stage if appropriate (e.g. minor cases of substance abuse.) We will apply this step uniformly and fairly, and it will not result in adverse impact for protected groups. Employees have one month to correct their behavior before step 6 takes effect.
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Step 6: - Employees who continue to violate company policies, whether voluntarily or involuntarily, will be terminated at this stage. This step will follow an official investigation by HR (or legal authorities when appropriate) to ensure that terminating an employee is fair. Termination for cause will refer to employees who were guilty of severe violations or felonies.
How to invoke progressive discipline
- The Netspective Communications LLC may initiate the progressive discipline process from a different stage based on the severity of the employee’s misconduct:
- Performance issues. The process will begin at stage 1. Examples include:
- Absenteeism.
- Missing deadlines.
- Lack of knowledge of Health & Safety standards.
- Minor offenses (one-time). The process will begin at stage 1. Examples include:
- Making minor mistakes on the job.
- Violating dress code.
- Serious misconduct/repeat offenses. The process will begin at stage 3. Examples include:
- Making major mistakes on the job.
- Being rude to customers or partners.
- Refusing to follow Health & Safety standards.
- Severe violations. The process will begin at stage 5. Examples include:
- Substance abuse.
- Offensive behavior.
- Retaliating against an employee.
- Illegal behavior. The process will begin at stage 6. Examples include:
- Corruption/Bribery.
- Sexual harassment.
- Workplace violence.
- Embezzlement/Fraud.
- HR/Department Heads can skip any of the stages if they deem it unnecessary. For instance, if an employee has already received multiple formal reprimands for the same offense, HR may choose to terminate them directly. Or an employee may be suspended directly for a short period as a punishment.
- This policy provides general guidelines only. The Netspective Communications LLC reserves the right to handle situations differently from what is outlined in this policy. However, we will always act fairly and lawfully and document every stage of the progressive discipline process.
Right to appeal
Employees who were not terminated for cause or found guilty of illegal behavior can appeal if they feel they were treated unfairly, such as in cases where they were demoted unfairly. They can bring their issue to the attention of HR, who will evaluate the situation and may organize a hearing.
Preventing progressive discipline
We will take actions to prevent the need for disciplinary action as disciplining an employee is never a pleasant task. To achieve this, we will:
- Clearly communicate our policies and Rule of behavior to all new hires.
- Formally announce any revisions or changes in our policies to all our employees (e.g. through bulletins or newsletters.)
- Address issues before they become problems by holding frequent employee performance meetings.
- Train managers to communicate, enforce, and abide by policies.
- Train employees in certain policies and procedures.
- Establish a culture of respect and collaboration.