Most businesses will at some point need to address disciplinary actions with employees. Whether it’s for issues such as tardiness, poor job performance, or inappropriate behaviour, it’s important to have a policy in place so that you can effectively address the issue. Having a written policy also protects you from potential legal action if an employee feels they were unfairly disciplined.
If you are an employer, you will already be aware of the many liabilities that come with hiring people and one aspect of that is employee disciplinary matters. In a perfect world, your workforce would be perfect, never making mistakes yet in reality, people do underperform or misbehave and that can lead to disciplinary measures being taken.
What Is A Disciplinary Action Policy?
This is a document that clearly outlines the company policy regarding employee discipline, detailing actions that will be taken in specific scenarios. When there is a conflict between an employee and the employer, all claims must go through ACAS (Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service), which offers a chance to resolve the conflict without using the employment tribunal’s valuable time. This had been the law in the UK since 2004 when ACAS was set up to oversee and resolve worker- employer conflicts and with Avensure early conciliation support for employers, you won’t have to worry about this aspect of the business. Search online for related services near your location.
Six Major Components Of A Disciplinary Action Policy
The 6 components consist of the following:
- Policy overview
- Employment statement
- Forms of discipline that may be taken
- Detailed description of exactly when measures will be taken
- Right to appeal statement
- Legal protection statements
Of course, all the company rules and regulations should be clearly stated in your company handbook, which is presented to every employee. If you need help to prepare your disciplinary action policy, there are HR agencies that specialise in this and they can be contacted through a web search.
Compulsory Action
If one of your employees is unhappy for any reason, they must claim through the ACAS website; then and only then can they communicate with ACAS regarding the issue. Early conciliation attempts to resolve a conflict before it ends up in front of an employment tribunal and it is critical that your business has a comprehensive policy for employee discipline. From the employer’s standpoint, nothing happens until the employer agrees to meet with ACAS, then a meeting is arranged with the employee and employer (or their representatives) in the hope that an agreement can be reached and the complaint process ends.
Call In The Professionals
Rather than having to bother your staff, if you need a Disciplinary Action Policy, you should make contact with a reputable HR consultant, as they can assist you in drafting the policy. The HR consultant has a wealth of hands-on experience in all aspects of HR, particularly when it comes to employer-employee conflicts.
The laws in your country regarding employee compliance can be complex and the best way to ensure compliance across the board is to enlist the services of a leading HR agency. They would be happy to give you a free initial consultation to help determine your HR needs and they can put together a proposal designed around your current HR needs. In the event you are contacted by the ACAS regarding a claim by an employee, you need to seek expert legal advice from an HR consultancy and hopefully, the issue can be resolved without going to an employment tribunal.
