Types of Disciplinary Measures

Every organization, may it be private or public, has a set of standards and policies to be followed by each members. Non-compliance will obligate management to enforce corrective actions. There are multiple types of disciplinary measures based on the gravity or seriousness of the problem. The following will help you determine the type of sanctions that maybe appropriate.

  1. Verbal Warning: For less severe misconduct, this avenue will allow human resources supervisor/manager or company representative to speak to the employee and discuss concerns or infractions without affecting their personnel record. It should outline how the employee is misbehaving and what the individual should do to improve thereby prevent future occurrences. Be able to highlight the consequences if the employee fails to do so.
  2. Written reprimand: This disciplinary action will serve as a precedent for future reprimands. It defines the act of misconduct, the corrective action required from the employee and repercussions if the said violation is repeated. The employee should be verbally notified before adjoining the letter to the file.
  3. Suspension: The company will suspend the employee on a temporary basis. This type of action is usually due to repeated misconduct – or because the problem requires further investigation (preventive suspension), and the presence of the em ployee will affect the process. Typically, this suspension will be without pay. But if the results prove that the employee is innocent, the company will be required to compensate for the lost hours/days. When suspending an employee, the company should initially submit a notification to the individual, letting the person know of the reason and the actions that will be under taken.
  4. Financial Penalty:This type of measure is rarely being used. It serves as an alternative when the employee cannot be suspended for business-related purposes (for example, if the company is restructuring, dealing with unlawful withdrawal of service or if an individual is working oversees and cannot be replaced during the suspension period).
  5. Demotion:Decreasing the job level is one of the most drastic disciplinary actions a company may take for grave misconduct or low productivity. It’s usually used when an employee is incapable handling certain position or because of repeated misconduct or poor performance.
  6. Termination:Before terminating an employee, the company has to be completely sure that it went through due process/legal proceedings. A dismissal may occur when an employee doesn’t correct his/her behaviour, despite constant warnings and reminders (verbally and on writing)  even though the company has discussed the problem with him/her multiple times in the past. The employer can immediately terminate an individual if s/he commits a serious act of misconduct – like stealing, harassment or breach of contract. The company’s code of conduct establishes what the consequences for specific misconduct are. This will help employees and management to have a better understanding of the matter.  Bear in mind that dismissing an employee without proper justification will have legal implications and can severely damage the company’s image and finances. Therefore, it pays to carefully consider what kind of action you should take to ensure that you can sustain the termination.

Be fair and just put everyone under the same standards. It is important to ensure that employees are aware of these disciplinary measures. Nobody likes to reprimand and be reprimanded. However it’s a ‘necessary evil’ to ensure that the workplace stays safe and productive at all times.


V. Sanchez | DBPC Blog