Discipline in the broadest sense means orderliness, the opposite of confusion. it does not mean a strict and technical observance of rigid rules and regulations. It simply means working, cooperating, and behaving ina normal and orderly way, as any reasonable person would expect an employee to do.
It’s necessary to encourage employees to behave sensibly at work, which is adhering to rules and regulations. and to develop a feeling of cooperation among workers.
Types of Disciplinary Actions Applied by Companies for Employees
The following disciplinary measures are applied by companies. The penalties are listed in the general order of severity, from mild to server:
1. Oral Reprimand
In most cases, an oral reprimand is sufficient to achieve the desired result.
The supervisor must know his personnel in determining how to give a reprimand.
The oral warning is the mildest form of disciplinary action. When a man fails to maintain standards or has broken a rule, a clear oral warning that repetition may eventually call for discipline is in order.
2. Written Reprimand
Written warnings are the first formal stage of progressive discipline.
Psychologically. perhaps, they are not different from the oral warning, but they are made part o employee’s records and they can be presented as evidence if more serious penalties follow or if the case is taken to arbitration.
Related: Top Need and Importance of Discipline in an Organization.
3. Loss of Privileges
For such offenses as tardiness or leaving work without permission, loss of various privileges can be used.
This includes such items as good job assignments, the right to select machines or tools, and freedom of movement about the workplace or company.
4. Fines
This means a small penalty imposed on employees by way of punishment.
5. Punitive Suspension
The punitive suspension is different from suspension pending an inquiry.
The punitive suspension is inflicted on the workman as a punishment for some misconduct threads suspension pending an inquiry is only an expedient action which a manager may find necessary to take the following commission of a grave and serious misconduct.
10 Steps to Follow in the Disciplinary Action Process.
6. Withholding of Increments
Withholding of annual increment of an employee on a graded scale is a major punishment.
The cumulative effect of losing an increment is considerable.
7. Disciplinary Layoffs
These layoffs should be distinguished from layoffs caused by lack of work. usually, they are for several days or weeks.
These are some employees who pay little attention to oral warnings, but to whom actual punishment, such as loss of income, is convincing proof that the company means business.
For them, a layoff may be the shock that serves to bring them back to their sense of responsibility.
Related: Ways to Measure the Effectiveness of Employee Training.
8. Pay Cut
Another alternative, also rarely applied in practice, is cutting the problem employees pay.
Certainly, this approach usually has a demoralizing effect on the employee, but it has been suggested as a rational action by management by advantages to saving the hiring and training costs incurred with a new employee.
This can be done by cutting the pay of the problem employee and saving the investment the organization has already made in that person.
9. Demotion
In demotion, an employee properly qualified for a job and position is placed unfit for the position occupied by him.
The use of demotions for the employees is properly for the present assignment.
Demotion should be used only in a case where an employee does not meet the present job requirement.
10. Discharge or Dismissal
Management’s ultimate disciplinary punishment is dismissing the problem employee.
Dismissal should be used only for the most serious offenses.
Yet it may be the only feasible alternative when an employee’s behavior is so bad as to seriously interfere with a department or the organization’s operations.
A dismissal decision should be taken after a thoughtful consideration due to the following reasons:
- For almost all employees, being fired from a job is emotional trauma.
- The expense of training a new employee makes the loss of an experienced man very costly to the company.
- Many arbitrators and unions increasingly unwilling to permit its use. Many arbitrators, indeed, refer to discharge as industrial capital punishment, and for good reason.
- A dismissed employee can take legal action to fight the decision.
- An employee faces all the winds of economic misfortune.
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