HR MANAGEMENT - Purpose of Discipline in the Workplace

Purpose of Discipline in the Workplace

by Ruth Mayhew, Demand Media

If you asked most employees the purpose of a progressive discipline policy, many would say companies use it to justify involuntary terminations. However, discipline in the workplace has more than one purpose. Employers develop and implement disciplinary and corrective-action policies for a variety of reasons, ranging from instructing proper workplace processes to deciding who gets promoted from within.

Workplace Structure

Disciplinary review and corrective-action policies provide workplace structure. They establish guidelines for employee performance and behavior and add an essential component to the overall management system. Disciplinary review and corrective action enforce workplace guidelines contained in employee handbooks, standard operating procedures and employment agreements. Merely outlining workplace policies is not enough; management must consistently discipline employees who fail to adhere to them. This is the simplest way to enforce them.

Eliminate Nonproductive Workers

Disciplinary review also helps identify toxic behavior in the workplace. Employees who blatantly disregard policies and procedures are subject to various disciplinary measures. These measures help employers identify misalignment between employees’ workplace actions and the organization's philosophy and mission. Ultimately, an employer’s disciplinary policy helps justify actions to remove toxic behavior from the workplace, such as suspension or termination. Employees who engage in behavior that runs afoul of the organization’s philosophy are subject first to disciplinary action and then face eventual termination.

Improve Performance

Discipline helps employees improve their performance. In some cases, employees are unaware of behavior and actions that prevent them from achieving acceptable performance levels. The purpose of workplace discipline is to alert employees to their behavior and actions and help them understand how these inhibit performance and productivity. Disciplinary review is an appropriate method for supervisors to use when correcting employees' misdeeds and helping them attain performance levels that meet employers' expectations. In this scenario, workplace discipline is a teaching and improvement tool.

Justify Employment Actions

Discipline in the workplace justifies employment actions besides suspension and termination. Employees subject to disciplinary review also may be the first ones laid off during a performance-based reduction in force. For promotions, employees with a history of disciplinary and corrective action will likely be overlooked in favor of candidates who have a clean record.