HR MANAGEMENT - How to Deal With Direct Insubordination

How to Deal With Direct Insubordination

by Wanda Thibodeaux, Demand Media

Just because an employee heard an order doesn't mean he understood it.

Insubordination is the act of purposely refusing to follow an order given by a superior. Even simple insubordination is a problem in the workplace because it undermines the authority of the manager and has the potential to cause productivity problems. In the most severe cases, such as in the military, insubordination may result in loss of life. For these reasons, managers cannot permit insubordination to continue. Even though managers should take the time to evaluate each situation individually to see if the employee truly meant to be insubordinate, employers should explain and enforce insubordination disciplinary procedures as soon as possible.

Step 1

Gather all documentation that shows that the employee received and understood your orders. The documentation also should show that the order given was work-related, violated no laws and posed no safety or health threat.

Step 2

Call the employee into a private meeting with you and a human resources representative. Show the employee through your documentation that insubordination has taken place, and give her a chance to explain her rationale for her behavior. In some instances, employees do not know their behavior constitutes insubordination.

Step 3

Clarify for the employee the disciplinary actions you have at your disposal for direct insubordination. State clearly the circumstances under which you will use those penalties and that the last penalty will be termination of employment.

Step 4

Interview the employee to find out what steps you both can take to come to an agreement that satisfies everyone. Even if you can't bend much, the employee likely will appreciate being heard out and having his ideas reviewed. You cannot let insubordination continue, but entertain the possibility that the employee may be insubordinate because your company policy has legitimate ethical or logical flaws.

Step 5

Have everyone present at the meeting sign and date a summary of what took place in the meeting and place a copy of the document in the employee's personnel file.

Step 6

Begin enforcing the insubordination policies clarified for the employee during the meeting if the employee's behavior does not change. Terminate the employee if her behavior fails to improve.