Question

As a manager, you are faced with the particularly daunting task of disciplining an employee. You remember that punishment must be “fair.” Briefly describe what is expected of you in order for the punishment is to be seen as “fair.” Also, what are some pitfalls that you may want to avoid and why?

Answer 1

The main thing I need to ensure while disciplining employees is equal treatment for all the employees. The punishment given should match the seriousness of the violation to be considered as fair. There should be a well defined disciplinary process to ensure fairness with clear rules and regulations, a system of progressive penalties and an appeals process. There would be rules and regulations set by the organization and I should analyze what constituted the unacceptable behavior and led to the disciplinary action. Once the issue is analyzed I should follow the progressive penalties based on the seriousness of violation which ranges from oral warnings to written warnings to suspension from the job and then to discharge. I need to follow an appeals process where an appeal is made to a higher authority and follows an appeal procedure.

One of the pitfalls I want to avoid is that the employee may feel that he/she is treated unequally during the disciplinary action. The fairness of every action depends on individual perceptions. In order to avoid any chances of wrong perceptions, I would involve the employee in the decision making by asking his/her input on the problem and allow to counter others arguments. I would also ensure that final decision is understood by the employee undergoing disciplining and also ensure that everyone is clear on the standards based on which their standards would be judged. Bullying, yelling, and threatening subordinates while disciplining will constitute unfair behavior and hence I would avoid such behavior. Another pitfall is the chances of treating employees differently based on performance and relationship. I would ensure similar treatment for all the employees to avoid this.