Discipline & Termination

How to have that ‘difficult chat’

April 28, 2014
Talking to employees about performance problems, attendance issues, or an upcoming layoff can be awkward. Take these steps to make those conversations easier for you—and your employees.

Sexual harassment: What managers need to know

December 5, 2013
As a manager, you have a legal responsibility to be on the lookout for misconduct. Here’s what’s considered sexual harassment in American workplaces and how to react if you see it or hear about it.

Worker refuses to sign disciplinary notice

October 10, 2012
Q. I recently disciplined an employee for poor performance. She did not agree with my assessment and refused to sign the memo documenting our discussion. Can I discipline her further for not signing?

Choose Your Words Wisely

September 1, 2012
It was an honest mistake, but a sloppy error that’s going to cost the company thousands of dollars. What do you do? Even the best employees screw up, and while it’s your job to handle disciplinary issues, you don’t want to risk losing an otherwise valuable employee.

Track discipline in a way that allows easy recall

August 23, 2012
You will never know which employee will sue or for what reason. That’s a good reason to carefully track all discipline and make the records easy to access.

Handling insubordination: manager guidelines

August 15, 2011
Insubordination can result when difficult employees intentionally disregard a direct order from a manager, or inadvertently cross the discipline line when company policy is involved. Knowing how to handle employee insubordination can go a long way toward avoiding legal consequences when discipline or discharge is necessary.

Alcoholism: a disability; drunkenness: a firing offense

February 11, 2011
Alcoholism may be a disability, but that doesn’t mean alcoholic employees can get away with showing up at work a little tipsy.

Discussing poor performance

August 1, 2010
Thoughts on how to discipline poor performers without muddling your message.

Bottom-line idea: Use the 2x2x2 formula

April 1, 2010
Thoughts on what to do after a disciplinary meeting with an employee.

Fend off an unexpected angry outburst

April 1, 2010
How to successfully handle an office confrontation: You’re faced with a longtime employee who never caused problems until now. Suddenly, she is in trouble on multiple fronts. What should you do?