Photo by Centre for Ageing Better on Unsplash
So you’ve tried everything to motivate the employee to better performance, but the situation hasn’t improved.
You’re not alone. The most common reasons to have an employee disciplinary meeting:
- Misconduct
- Poor performance
- Poor attendance or unauthorized absence
- Poor timekeeping
- Misuse of e-mail, Internet, or social media.
You know how important how disciplinary documentation is. You’ve carefully prepared your documentation.
But based on the situation, you now anticipate the difficult employee will refuse to sign a disciplinary memo? What can you do now?
Prepare a section indicating a refusal to sign
Protect your organization by adding a simple sentence indicating the employee refused to sign the document.
Make sure another manager or HR employee will be present as a witness. If the employee refuses to acknowledge it, have your associate initial the document.
HR: Avoid Bias in Evaluating Top Employees Who Backslide
Include an opportunity for written employee rebuttal
Anticipate having to povide an extra blank sheet of paper for the employee to write a rebuttal. In this way, the employee has a chance for rebuttal and is proof the person received the document.
This ensures the document stays intact. You might need it later for legal action.
Questions to Ask Your Employee in a Disciplinary Meeting
Carefully explain what a signature means
It’s a simple acknowledgement of receiving and understanding the document. By signing it doesn’t mean the employee agrees with the findings and admits guilty behavior.
Explain to the employee the ramifications of not signing
The employee’s refusal does not prevent you from taking disciplinary steps.
Good luck.
From the Coach’s Corner, here are related strategies:
Tips to Prevent or Eliminate Employee Toxicity — From time to time, nearly every boss has to cope with an employee’s negativity. That’s annoying enough, but you’ve got a nightmare if toxic attitudes spread among the rest of your workers. Here are solutions.
HR Checklist to Update Your Employee Handbook — You should review your employee handbook every six months and update it when necessary. Between reviews if you suspect change is needed, don’t hesitate to review it and make appropriate changes.
Management: Coach Your Employees to Better Performance — In talent management, coaching, counseling and giving feedback is of utmost importance. But it’s a difficult challenge if you don’t have a coaching culture.
Before You Fire Employees, Ask Yourself 3 Important Questions — Keep in mind that if you’re forced to terminate workers, there are normally three questions to ask yourself.
If it’s Necessary to Fire Employee on FMLA, Here’s How … — Despite what might you have been told, you can discharge an employee while on leave for cause under the Family and Medical Leave Act. If you feel you must terminate such an employee, here are the guidelines.
“Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.”
-Jim Rohn
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