Task: using the written warning document, write up yourself, an employee or your boss.

Keep the following notes in mind when completing documents:

Discipline Document:

1. Depending on offense, give the employee a chance (verbal warning) 2. Don't wait - address the issue as soon as you witness or are aware of the issue to avoid escalation. 3. Be descriptive, provide examples, list witnesses, dates, and times - think of this as a legal document 4. Issue in private or have a witness (if available) to avoid a he said, she said type situation or claims of sexual harassment. 5. Do not pile up offenses 6. Follow-up - check up on employee's progress.

WRITTEN WARNING DISCIPLINE NOTICE Employee's Name Date Department SS# Date of Incident Date of Hire Verbal Written Warning Suspension # Working Day(s) From Through Discharge Effective Reason for warning of discipline. (Check one or more box as appropriate. Explain fully in Remarks Section.) 1. Violation of or failure to observe: a. College and/or work rules b. Work procedures 2. Insubordination 3. Tardiness, absenteeism, failure to report for work 4. Under the influence of and/or possession of drugs or alcohol 5. Dishonesty 6. Failure to observe proper safety procedures 7. Failure to complete work assignment 8. Discourtesy or verbal abuse of guest or other employee 9. Damage or misuse of college property 10.Unauthorized removal from college premises of department or other property 11. Physical or verbal assault and/or fighting 12.Other (specify in remarks section) Remarks: Explain reasons for warning or discipline, including specific details of incident or violation; include prior waming(s). I hereby acknowledge receipt of a copy of this discipline form. Employee's Signature Date Supervisor Date Department Director or Chair Date cc: Department Employee's Master Personnel File Employee The Right Way to Handle a Dismissal "Employment at will" is the governing principle of em- ployment in the great majority of states, which means that anyone can be dismissed at any time for any reason at allor for no reason. Exceptions are whistle blowers and people with employment contracts. Civil-rights laws also prohibit organizations' dismissing people for their gender, skin color, or physical or mental disability.14% Four suggestions for handling a dismissal are... Give the Employee a Chance First. If you're dealing with someone who has a problem with absenteeism, alco- hol/drug dependency, or the like, articulate to that em- ployee what's wrong with his or her performance, then set up a plan for improvement (which might include coun seling). Or if you're dealing with an employee who has a bad cultural or personality fit with the company but- toned-down, by-the-book style, say, that's at odds with your flexible, fast-moving organization have a conversa- tion and give the employee time to find a job elsewhere." Don't Delay the Dismissal, & Make Sure It's Completely Defensible. If improvements aren't forthcoming, don't carry the employee along because you feel sorry for him or her. Your first duty is to the performance of the organization. Make sure, however, that you've documented all the steps taken in advance of the dismissal. For instance, after you've verbally alerted the employee about what the problem is the improve ments you expect, and the consequences if they don't happen, you should send an e-mail to that person reit- erating the same points, keeping a copy for yourself Also be sure that the steps taken follow the law and all important organizational policies.45 Be Aware How Devastating a Dismissal Can Be-Both to the Individual & to Those Re- maining. To the person being let go, the event can be as much of a blow as a divorce or a death in the family, Dismissals can also adversely affect those remaining with the company. This is what psychiatrist Manfred Kets de Vries calls layoff survivor sickness, which is char- acterized by anger, depression, fear, guilt, risk aversion, distrust, vulnerability, powerlessness, and loss of moti. vation. Indeed, a five-year study by Cigna and the Amer ican Management Association found an enormous increase in medical claims, particularly for stress-related illnesses, not only among those dismissed but among continuing employees as well. 16 Offer Assistance in Finding Another Job. Dismiss- ing a long-standing employee with only a few weeks of severance pay hurts not only the person let go but also the organization itself, as word gets back to the employ- ees who remain, as well as to outsiders who might be prospective employees. Knowledgeable employers offer assistance in finding another job. "The best demonstration that a company's values are real" says management scholar Rosabeth Moss Kanter, "is to act on them today even for people who will not be around tomorrow. A company, like a society, can be judged by how it treats its most vulnerable.... Bad treatment of departing employees can destroy the commitment of those who stay."147 YOUR CALL If it hasn't happened to you already, at some point in your career you may find yourself let go from a job, perhaps for reasons that weren't your fault. (But if they are your fault, try to take it as a reality check and take the lesson for ward into any future jobs.) You may take some consola- tion in the fact that many famous leaders have been fired from a job at some point in their lives (one of them was Apple's Steve Jobs--from the company he founded), only to bounce back and go on to do greater things. But you might also try to remember your experience when con fronted with having to dismiss an employee and try to bring as much understanding and empathy to the task as you can. Have you ever been fired or dismissed? How did you react