What is progressive discipline and how to use it within business?

A strategic and empathic approach to workplace discipline

You might have recently heard the term ‘progressive discipline’ passed around the workplace. Any time the word discipline is used, it conjures up images of a controlling or regimented authority. Luckily, progressive discipline in the workplace couldn’t be further from that! We’ll tell you all you need to know about it.

In this article we’ll discuss:

The definition of progressive discipline and what it looks like in the workplace.
The pros and cons of progressive discipline.
A common example of ethical steps to progressive discipline.

What is the goal of progressive discipline?

If you have experienced a positive interaction with a manager who is also offering you some discipline, there’s a good chance it was done in a progressive manner. The whole idea behind progressive discipline is that it is patient and incremental. This means that you will not be reprimanded to the fullest extent on your first offense.

Managers who practice progressive discipline work through a series of steps that increase in severity as they move through them. The first time being disciplined should look very little like the final form of discipline.

The steps to progressive discipline

Progressive discipline usually follows a similar framework, in which the first form of discipline used is in the form of a warning, and the final form used can result in termination.

Verbal warning

The first type of warning an employer gives an employee is a verbal warning. Verbal warnings are intended to be light and informal. When giving a verbal warning, a manager will typically ask to speak to you privately but quickly. They will typically inform you that something you’ve done is not in line with standard protocol, and discuss how to correct the behavior. It’s common practice for management to keep a written log of all forms of discipline, so expect the encounter to be documented. A great manager will also inform you when they are giving what they would consider to be a verbal warning.

Written warning

After a verbal warning, a manager will issue a written warning. This is an official form of discipline and is usually kept in your employee record. A written warning should be taken seriously by employees, as it means you have advanced far enough in a negative behavior that a simple verbal warning isn’t sufficient to correct the problem. When an employee receives a written warning, they should understand it to mean that management will be keeping an eye on them.

Some company policies require an employer to give multiple written warnings before advancing to the next level of progressive discipline.

Performance improvement plan (PIP)

Once all warning steps have been exhausted, management will move into the PIP stage. This stage is reserved for those who are experiencing ongoing performance issues, or when a serious failure in conduct occurs.

The most structured of all the progressive discipline steps, performance improvement plans are a tactile tool to use for setting goals and staying on track. When setting up a PIP, the employee will work alongside the management team to discuss the conflict and come up with a step-by-step plan for moving forward. They typically come with deadlines and markers which, if left unmet, could be a cause for moving forward with termination.

Termination

The final step in progressive discipline is terminating the employee from their position. At this point in their disciplinary plan, no one should feel surprised by this step. The employee will have already received verbal and written warnings, discussed their needs and setbacks when writing a performance improvement plan, and been made to understand the repercussions of failing to meet the set standards.

When an employer moves into the termination phase, they should remind the employee of every phase of their progressive discipline plan, to show the effort everyone took in achieving their shared goal. This is how progressive discipline creates an ethical approach to employment separation.

Why it is effective in the workplace

Progressive discipline benefits both the employee and the business. Employees can feel secure in being able to anticipate the next level of discipline that they might receive and choose how to respond.

Employers can also feel protected if it becomes necessary to terminate an employee. Different types of businesses have different legal obligations when it comes to hiring and firing. In many industries, an employee is protected unless there is a log documenting the steps management took to discipline and correct behavior. If an employee claims unlawful termination, progressive discipline allows employers to dispute the claim and prove that they took effective steps for recourse.

Example of progressive discipline

Sasha is a secretary for a small private dentist's office, where they have worked for three years. Over the last two months, they have begun regularly arriving to work twenty minutes late, occasionally forgetting to process patient payments, and failed once to properly schedule a patient’s procedure. Sasha’s manager has brought up the delays a few times and has asked if there is anything they need help with. Each time, Sasha confirms that they are doing well and will work to improve their performance immediately.

Step 1. After showing up late one day, Sasha’s manager pulls them aside to deliver a verbal warning. The manager lists the main issues they’ve been having with Sasha’s performance and gives specific directions on how Sasha can improve. The manager discloses that the next time one of the issues occurs, they will be given an official written warning.

Step 2. A week later, a patient shows up for an appointment that was booked over the phone, but that Sasha had failed to schedule with the clinic. The manager gives Sasha an official written warning, detailing the problem, any previous conversations they’ve had about the issue, and how they would like the employee to resolve the issue. They give a copy of the document to Sasha and keep a copy for their records.

Step 3. Three weeks after that, Sasha showed up to work ten minutes late on multiple occasions and misplaced two invoices. The manager asks to speak with Sasha to create a performance improvement plan. Together, they reaffirm the issues at hand, set clear goals, detail actionable steps, and set the parameters for improvement. They both sign off on the plan.

Step 4. Two months into the PIP, Sasha’s performance at work has declined again. Their manager asks to speak to them at the end of the day, during which they inform Sasha of the company’s decision to pursue separation. The manager reviews the steps they had agreed on and shows examples of missed targets. Sasha is terminated from their position.

What are the problems with progressive discipline?

For the most part, progressive discipline is seen as the most ethical approach to workplace discipline. However, it does come with some setbacks.

The biggest barrier to the effective use of progressive discipline is that it is a time-consuming endeavor. It requires management to have a lot of patience and to be more invested in the growth of an employee than in meeting their goals. They are committing to their staff in order to see the desired results in the long term. However, in some fast-paced environments, that pace of improvement isn’t enough. In such industries, staff may experience a quicker pipeline to termination for failing to meet productivity standards.

What is the hot stove rule?

The hot stove rule is an approach to workplace discipline that is rooted in an analogy of touching a stove. The basic idea is that when someone, anyone, touches a hot stove, the result will be consistent: they will get burned. This theory applies to discipline in that it should be consistent and immediate. All staff should receive the same punishment for similar negative actions, and it should be delivered in a timely manner, regardless of who displayed the negative behavior.

The hot stove rule differs from progressive discipline in that it is rigid and impersonal. Whereas progressive discipline aims to meet the employees where they’re at and work together to move forward, the hot stove rule asks management to have more of an iron fist in the discipline. Both are common and can be expected to be experienced at some point in a professional’s career.

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