No one enjoys suspending or firing staff, but most HR professionals must cope with these problematic situations regularly—all while assuring that the company complies with a slew of employment rules. Here are some suggestions for dealing with disciplinary issues without going to court.
What defines workplace misconduct?
Inefficiency, bad conduct, and poor performance are typical examples of workplace misconduct.
Here are some other examples of misconduct:
- Property damage.
- A nasty attitude toward other coworkers.
- Theft or deception.
- Conduct that puts the employee’s and others’ health and safety in jeopardy
- Discrimination
The details of each instance, including the employee’s description of the incident, will determine whether or not the behavior is genuinely serious misconduct.
This must be investigated as part of a fair investigation and disciplinary procedure to determine if there has been significant misconduct. Note that clumsiness and disagreements aren’t considered misconduct.
Although this isn’t necessarily what you want your employees to be doing, it isn’t bad enough to cause a significant breach of the agreement.
Identifying serious misconduct
When it comes to defining severe misconduct in the workplace, the main question is whether the behavior violates or undermines the manager’s confidence and trust in the worker.
If the employee’s capacity to execute his or her work is harmed due to the wrongdoing, this becomes a major concern. Serious misconduct occurs when an employee acts in a way that has significant negative consequences for his employer, profession, and other 3rd parties.
Bullying, deceit, stealing or fraud, violent behavior, and the use of illegal narcotics at work are just a few instances of undesirable behavior that can be classified as serious misbehavior. In serious cases like these, it is possible for a discrimination case or employment dispute to arise, in which case legal guidance will be needed, details of which can be found here.
Handling Misconduct At Workplace
To limit the risk of misconduct, your workers must understand what is expected from them regarding how they ought to act, the level of excellence that must be kept, and how to connect their behavior and performance with the company’s aims and values.
You can better manage staff performance in a variety of ways. The aim is to maintain consistency and ensure that the system produces the desired outcomes. If that doesn’t work, keep reworking the process until you get the best result possible.
Here are some proven methods for managing and improving employee performance:
- execute frequent performance evaluations and assessments
- providing appropriate training and mentoring
- providing employees with a safe space to share candid feedback without fear of retaliation
- Set explicit standards for behavior, quality standards, and business objectives — both orally and in writing.
- Update company rules and agreements based on employee feedback.
- Ensure that management consistently adheres to the company’s policies.
Wrapping Up
Regular performance assessments and team meetings can help you uncover wrongdoing before it escalates into a major problem. In addition, knowing your staff allows you to create trust and gain insight into their patterns of behavior.
Strong professionals can know how their staff uses their time and the potential obstacles to a positive work environment. They also keep other company executives accountable for their actions and hold others to the same high level.
Keep a close look by monitoring employees in the workplace and make it clear to the employees how they would report bullying or discrimination in a private manner. You can design the right policies for your organization, monitor employee conduct, and manage more effectively by expanding your hr department.