1. Human Resource Management
Lecture-39

2. Summary of Lecture-38

3. Employee Rights & Discipline

4. Employee Rights Protection of one’s job Due process and just cause
Freedom of speech
Privacy
Off-the job behavior
Protection against layoff

5. Just Cause & Due Process

6. Management Rights

7. Run business and retain any profits
Manage workforce: hire, promote, assign, discipline, discharge employees
Influenced by stakeholders
Employment at will

8. Discipline

9. Guidelines for the Implementation of Organizational Rules
Publish Widely
Keep in Writing
Guidelines for the Implementation of Organizational Rules
Review Regularly
Be Reasonable
Explain Reasons
Remind/Restate
Get Signed Statements of Understanding

10. Today’s Topics

11. Discipline (Cont..)
Employee Separations

12. Common Disciplinary Problems

13. Attendance Unexcused absence Chronic absenteeism
Leaving without permission

14. Work Performance Not completing work assignments
Producing substandard products or services
Not meeting established production requirements

15. Dishonesty and Related Problems
Theft
Falsifying employment application
Willfully damaging organizational property
Punching another employee’s time card
Falsifying work records

16. On-the-job Behaviors Insubordination Smoking in unauthorized places
Fighting
Gambling
Failure to use safety devices
Failure to report injuries
Carelessness

17. Sleeping on the job
Using abusive or threatening language with supervisors
Possession of narcotics or alcohol
Possession of firearms or other weapons
Sexual harassment

18. Discipline System Recommended by Labour Department

19. (d) Dismissal without notice (e) Appeal
(a) Warning (oral or written)
(b) Suspension (with or without pay)
(c) Dismissal with appropriate notice
(d) Dismissal without notice
(e) Appeal

20. Progressive Discipline Procedure

21. The Hot Stove Rule

22. Good discipline (or a rule) is like a hot stove in that:
It provides a warning (feels hot)
It is consistent (burns every time)
It is immediate (burns now)
It is impersonal (burns all alike)

23. Certainty of Application Uniformity of Discipline
Gives Fair Warning
Certainty of Application
Uniformity of Discipline

24. Approaches to Discipline

25. Progressive Discipline
Hot Stove Rule
Progressive Discipline
Positive Discipline

26. Let’s take some examples..

27. Ineffective Employees
There are three general questions a manager might use to analyze the performance problem:
1. What is the discrepancy?
2. Is it important?
3. Is it a deficiency in skills?

28. If there is a deficiency in skills, then it must be corrected
If the problem does not have to do with skills, then it must be addressed in terms of:
removing obstacles
creating a more positive motivational climate
bringing about some type of job change

29. Participants in Theft and Other Illegal Acts
Employees engage in illegal acts including:
employee theft
misuse of company facilities or property
disclosure of trade secrets
embezzlement
sabotage of products
use of company telephones and credit cards for personal use

30. To deal with employee dishonesty problems, HR managers use:
discipline
termination
rehabilitation

31. HR departments have responsibility for crime prevention
security programs
pre-employment screening mechanisms

32. Rule Violators Consistently violate company rules, e.g.,
sleeping on the job
having weapons at work
fighting at work
coming in late
abusing the supervisor
Workplace violence is a particularly difficult issue

33. Discipline Systems

34. Discipline should:
Be proportional to the bad behavior
Be applied before the bad behavior becomes a habit
Be focused on specific behaviors
Be applied consistently across people and time
Not be followed by positive rewards that lessens manager’s guilt
Be administered by someone the employee trusts and respects

35. Reasons Why Discipline Might Not Be Used

36. Organization culture regarding discipline
Lack of support by higher management
Guilt
Loss of friendship
Time loss
Fear of lawsuits

37. Separation

38. Disciplinary separation
Dismissal
Non-disciplinary separation
Layoff
Downsizing
Retirement

39. Involuntary Separation

40. Issues: Employment-At-Will Discipline Systems Termination for Cause
Layoff

41. Termination for Cause

42. Some offenses are so bad they typically justify immediate termination
Falsify résumé or employment application
Falsify work records
Divulge trade secrets
Steal company property
Assault of supervisor or fellow employees
Possession of a weapon
Possession of alcohol or illegal drugs

43. Acceptable Reasons
Incompetence that is not responsive to training/accommodation
Gross/repeated insubordination
Repeated lateness/unexcused absences
Illegal behavior/drug activity
Verbal Abuse
Physical violence

44. Unacceptable Reasons
Reporting illegal company actions or cooperating in a legal investigation
Filing workers’ compensation claim
Engaging in concerted activity to protest wages, working conditions, safety hazards
Engaging in lawful union activity
Refusing an assignment because of a reasonable belief it is dangerous

45. Termination does 2 things:
Punishes the problem employee
Sends a message to other employees about what will not be tolerated
Managing terminations
Document, document, document

46. Demotion as Alternative to Termination
Demotions used as alternative to discharge
Demotion is process of moving worker to lower level of duties and responsibilities, usually involving a reduction in pay

47. Layoffs
Other terms:
Downsizing
Restructuring
Right-sizing

48. Downsizing also known as restructuring and rightsizing
Reverse of company growing; suggest one-time change in organization and number of people employed
Layoff/recall
Outplacement

49. Voluntary Separation

50. Dissatisfaction leads to withdrawal & negative job behaviors
Quitting may also be due to sudden changes
Internal job-related, e.g., not getting a promotion
External job-related, e.g., getting better job offer
External off-job, e.g., spouse getting transferred

51. Resignation
Exit interview
Advance notice of resignation

52. Retirement
Completed service
Early retirement

53. Enough for today. . .

54. Summary

55. Common Disciplinary Problems

56. The Hot Stove Rule

57. Discipline Systems

58. Separation

59. Next….

60. ?

61. Human Resource Management
Lecture-39