Employee Discipline: Addressing Issues in Your Workforce to Maximum Benefit

No bones about it, mistakes and employee negligence are not only a nuisance, but can have disastrous consequences for any business. Problem is, most commonly used forms of employee discipline, such as stern talks, suspensions, or even docked pay, can greatly hinder not only the work performance of that one employee, but adversely affect the morale of your entire workplace, driving down company pride and productivity. There is a better way, and WellnessAMPED is here to help you find it.

We’ve all heard the phrase, “if you treat them like children, they’re going to act like children.” Well, this adage could not be truer when it comes to the workplace. Protocol like first, second, and third warnings, brief scoldings, “slaps on the wrist”, or even praising those who do something as simple as show up to work on time, infantilizes your employees. Before long, their job performance will be relegated to tasks that merely keep them out of trouble, doing the bare minimum required to get through the day, or earn that meaningless “gold star” for attendance. Why? Because treating your employees like anything other than smart, capable adults leads to what is called a self- fulfilling prophecy - a psychological phenomenon where human beings adhere to what is seen and expected of them. Therefore, if you expect the best and let your employees know they are they’re great, regardless of whatever grievance they may have caused, you’ll get the best from them.

But problems and issues in the workplace do need to be addressed. We can - and wisely should - eliminate the word “discipline” from our supervisory vocabulary, but then what? If an employee is making mistakes, particularly repeated ones, how can one address that without driving down morale and employee performance? Every workplace is different, which is why WellnessAMPED designs specific programs that support Human Resources teams, supervisors, and even employees in finding appropriate, dynamic solutions to tackle tough issues. In our experience, this individualized approach, with a focus toward high expectations and employee excellence, not only greatly reduces mistakes and negligence, but improves employee relationships, overall productivity, and work performance. When employees know they’re being recognized for their efforts - above and beyond timeliness - and not hounded and penalized for their mistakes, it is simply amazing how they rise to meet expectations. WellnessAMPED would love to work with you to turn “employee discipline” into “employee effectiveness”, and in the meantime, here are a few tips to get you started:

Use Corrective Measures, Not Threats

We know this is sometimes hard to see, but most employees want to do a good job. They want to be better, more effective, and feel as though they are contributing in a productive manner. This is a natural part of the human condition, so feed it! Through a constructive, private conversation, discuss the issues calmly and, without mention of penalties, offer solutions that will help them when these situations arise in the future.

Another great tactic is to ask your employee what you can do to help them better tackle the offending situation in the future.

Sandwich your Criticisms with Compliments

You’ve probably heard this one before, but that’s because it works. There’s nothing more demoralizing than being approached by your superior and immediately bombarded with complaints. Making a point to recognize and appreciate the employees’ contributions before addressing the problem, and then concluding your chat with a gracious thank you for the their efforts, will lead to a much greater probability that you will not encounter the same issue from that employee again.

And Finally...

None of this is to suggest there aren’t times when swift, definitive action must be taken. There are - without a doubt - certain actions when performed in the workplace that must be met with severe discipline or immediate termination. WellnessAMPED is also well equipped to help you and your team define these guidelines, and implement strategies so that incidents like these will not affect the overall health and productivity of your company.