Disciplinary procedures – we all need reminding from time to time!
disciplinary procedures are easy to forget about until, we need to address a difficult situation with an employee. We all need reminding from time to time about what we should be doing.
I was scanning my news feeds and articles forums this morning as I normally do while the coffee is brewing, to kick start the day. I was thinking about timeliness and how it affects my life.
I came across a great little piece by Linda Cole. She was talking about Dale Carnegie’s book on winning friends and influencing people. He published that back in 1936, that’s 77 years ago. But his principle points stills hold true, Pay people a compliment; where appropriate, Say Thanks; often, Give generously; Do what you say you will; Use people’s names, Follow-up. As Linda points out, it’s all common sense. Yet we all, do need reminding from time to time, because even the best of us don’t get it right, all the time.
And this brings me to a breakfast seminar that I was at, here in Dublin a week or two ago. It was at international law firm- Mason Haye Curran, one of whose expertise is employment law. Melanie Crowley, Ger Connolly and Orla O’Leary gave a great talk in very clear terms, on navigating our way around the disciplinary procedures with companies and the dos and don’ts. And sitting there listening to their views and the open -forum discussion that followed, I was struck by how important it is to be remind of the things.
And in my case, it often needs repeating again and again. I have actually managed a disciplinary procedure with a team member, in the past. One of the key takeaways that I got from the session was that by law, in Ireland anyway (And I suspect elsewhere also), a company or employer is obligated to give, in writing, the disciplinary procedure within 28 days of a new employee signing a contract. Probably, a non-issue for larger companies and corporations who have developed HR departments and employee handbooks. But what about the smaller organisation/ company or sole trader?
Also, what about the senior new hires? On occasion HR departments don’t treat such senior people as employees. What about a new CEO? They’re employee too! Will the HR director or manager be comfortable with dealing with such matters or in the unfortunate case of an issue, be in a position to confront it?
To all you chairpersons out there, how does your company manage an issue with a CEO or head of function, does your HR have appropriate access to you to advise on such issues?
