Disciplinary Procedure

What is a Disciplinary Procedure?

A disciplinary procedure is a procedure for dealing with employee misconduct that has been identified. Depending on the seriousness of the infraction, most organizations will employ a variety of disciplinary procedures.

Disciplinary proceedings are divided into two categories: informal and formal. Informal disciplinary procedures are less likely to be codified and handled ‘quietly’ by a manager, whereas formal procedures are to be codified in a company handbook or employment contract and closely followed by the employer because disagreements over handling could lead to an employment tribunal.

Employees are likely to be suspended from work while disciplinary action is being pursued for major offenses. 

What is the purpose of a disciplinary procedure?

An employer can use a disciplinary procedure to:

• Inform an employee that their behavior is unacceptable or inappropriate 
• Address concerns constructively and encourage improvement 
• Apply sanctions in proportion to the severity of the misconduct 
• To be in the greatest position to effectively defend an unfair dismissal claim, follow a fair approach.

Also, See: Conflict Management