How to Properly Document Employee Discipline

The consequences of not having a proper employee discipline documentation system are "low morale, decreased production and wrongful termination suits," according to Hunt Henion, owner of Hunt Henion, Inc., a human resource company. To avoid these problems, take the time to develop a progressive discipline system that includes oral warnings, written warnings and documentation of rule violations. Documentation of employee discipline is vital in case a former employee decides to take your company to court.

• 1

  Inform the employee of the rule violated orally first. It is optional to write down this incident.

• 2

  Write a document that covers the rule broken or incident worthy of discipline. Include as much information as possible, such as a description of the situation or problem, any prior oral warnings, dates, times, places, who was present, and references to other written warnings given to the employee. State that all employees are required to follow the particular rule or meet the expectation that the employee violated. This demonstrates that the rule is applied to everyone equally. Include that the behavior of the employee is unacceptable, and clearly lay out the consequences of not improving.

• 3

  Meet with the employee and explain that a written warning is going into the employee's file. Have the employee sign that she understands what she did incorrectly and what you expect of her in the future. Offer assistance in improving the employee's behavior and work practices. If she refuses to sign, note that she was present when you explained the situation, the date and that she did not want to sign. Sign your own name then. Also record how the employee responded to the warning.

• 4

  Go over the employee's file before you decide to terminate. If you are uncertain that you have properly documented any incident or warning, it may be wise to review your discipline and decision-making procedure. Give the employee sufficient time and opportunity to improve her performance.

• 5

  Give copies of the written violation notifications to the employee. Include previous written warnings with each successive one given. Put copies in the employee's file as well. Another option to help you keep track of violations is to enter them for each employee into a computer database.