Why you
must get rid of bad employees if reprimands don't work.
Rarely is an employee ever fired on the spot unless that individual
is a threat to the safety of other workers or involved in criminal
activity. To discipline an employee properly, you must follow
a procedure that gives this person chances to fix his or her
behavior. This progressive discipline also creates the documentation
necessary if you need to fire the employee once all efforts
at rehabilitation fail. The employee reprimand letter is part
of this documentation.
Before Writing The Employee Reprimand Letter
Before writing such a letter, you must clearly explain the
behaviors and performance you expect from the employee. Do
this with a verbal warning.
Let me give you an example.
Let's say you are a manager in an Information Technology (IT)
company and have hired a new computer programmer right out
of college. All software developed in your company must pass
a rigorous quality control process. And let's just say the
personnel in the quality control department go a little overboard
with the high standards. Occasionally, this happens. The new
hire may not be used to these standards and cannot get the
products past the quality control department. This results
in missed deadlines and unhappy end users. Before you write
an employee reprimand letter, you must guide this programmer
through this problem. Give him your expectations and then provide
some help in meeting them. If the new hire repeatedly cannot
meet the job requirements, then give him a verbal warning.
You might make a note of this verbal warning your files so
you can recall details later if necessary.
When It Is Time To Write The Letter
After all attempts to get the employee back on track fail,
it is time to write the employee reprimand letter. It is in
this letter where you will make reference to previous verbal
warnings and outline expectations. In the employee reprimand
you must state what the expected performance is and what the
consequences will be should the employee fail to meet it.
Have the employee sign the letter. This provides a record
saying that you did meet with the employee and presented the
information detailed therein. Also state a deadline in the
letter for the employee to achieve the desired behavior. Always
remember to attach a deadline to your expectations.
The written reprimand letter could be just what the employee
needs to correct the situation. If it does not turn the employee
around then it is a critical document in termination process.
It shows you tried multiple times to correct the employee's
behavior.
A
new concept in employee termination and discipline
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