How Your Disciplinary Process can Improve Performance and Change Behaviours

By Helen Burrowes

Senior HR Consultant

Employers are required to have a disciplinary procedure in place, that is fair, transparent and consistently applied throughout the business.  When dealing with any potential issue, the process should be carried promptly, to reduce any risk of wrongful dismissal and unfair dismissal at a tribunal court.  Getting this process wrong could lead to a costly tribunal claim.

Having a disciplinary procedure in place within your business is a formal way for you to manage an employees unacceptable or improper behaviour (misconduct) or performance issues (capability).  The employer does not have to accept unacceptable behaviour or under-performing employees within the business.

Disciplinary procedure

Informal measures establishing what is acceptable is the first step.  This corrective action may result in an improvement in the employee’s conduct or capability.

Where there are no improvements, or in the event of a more serious act of misconduct, then the formal procedure will be initiated.

Formal Disciplinary Process steps

  1. Investigate
  2. Suspend (where necessary)
  3. Invite to Disciplinary Hearing
  4. Hold the Disciplinary Hearing
  5. Provide an Outcome
  6. Appeal

To discuss your disciplinary procedures, or to chat through a conduct or capability issue, please contact our Nockolds HR Consultants on 0333 400792 or email enquiries@nockoldshr.co.uk