HRM 482 Exam 2

1. Ask

Gain Permission -" Can I give you some feedback" "We need to talk about something. Is now a good time?"

Progressive Discipline

If an employee is subject to progressive discipline, the employer generally imposes a less severe form of discipline before proceeding to a more severe discipline option. Examples of steps in progressive discipline 1. Oral warning 2. Written warning 3. Suspension 4. Demotion and/or transfer 5. Discharge

Progressive Discipline (continued)

Progressive discipline is not warranted in every case. Sometimes, based on the severity or nature of the employee's conduct, it is justified for an employer to skip steps in the progressive discipline process, including proceeding straight to termination.

5. Suggest

Recommend alternative behavior -"Next time you might..." -"Another choice would be.."

7. Success

in time to do it all over again feedback should be constant, not a once and a while thing

unionized workplaces

many require progressive discipline be used -disciplinary actions in these workplaces must be utilized only pursuant to the terms of the collective bargaining agreement negotiated between union and employer

When would skipping steps be warranted? in Progressive Discipline

workplace violence, threats of violence, theft.

Termination with no right to rehire:

•: The employee is involuntarily discharged, and the employer will not rehire the employee in the future.

Common Performance Deficiencies

-absenteeism -tardiness -poor attitude/insubordination -poor task performance -poor contextual performance (not staying late for finish an assignment or not answering a co-worker's related questions)

Whistleblower Protection

-an employee who reports the employer to government authorities for violation of civil rights law

Civil Rights Laws

-employers cannot use disciplinary procedures against an employee due to employee's membership in a protected class -ex. employer cannot discipline men who are tardy but not women

10 common feedback mistakes

-exaggerated with generalities -positive sandwich -isn't your feedback -judges the person -too vague -psychoanalyzes the motives -too long -is a question rather than a statement -contains implied threat -inappropriate humor

Contractual Rights

-express (Written contract between employee and employer) -implied (Employee handbook can create this)

how to avoid performance deficiencies

-practice employee selection carefully so there isn't an issue in first place. make sure Equal employment laws are not violated -give realistic job previews from beginning -allow employees to participate in the development of their performance goals. According to goal-setting theory, employees who participate in performance goal creation typically perform better and tend to assign themselves higher goals than supervisors would -use the performance appraisal process as a way to provide feedback - good and bad

Performance Improvement Plans

-tool employers used to improve employee behavior -a contract between the employee and employer in which the performance deficiencies of the employee are clearly articulated -the plan should include goals for increased performance and steps to achieve these -also includes timelines for achieving performance goals -typically signed by the employee and at least one representative of the employer -generally not considered to be employee discipline, but rather a developmental tool for low-performing employees

Employee Performance- To maximize employee performance, the following strategies should be employed:

1. Communicate performance goals at hire 2. Perform periodic performance appraisals 3. Allow employees to participate, to the extend possible, in the formulation of their performance goals -Under goal-setting theory, setting goals = better performance -Regular feedback on performance = reduced performance deficiencies

Two dimensions of Contextual Performance

1. Interpersonal facilitation: consists of interpersonally oriented behaviors that contribute to the organizational goal accomplishments 2. Job Dedication: Centers on self-disciplined behaviors, such as working hard(

Situation

Capture the Situation -creates the context and sets the stage -be specific about when and where it occured

Behavior

Describe the behavior with example(s) -Key: Must be OBSERVABLE by another person (Active verbs) -Not just the "what" but also the "How" (body lunges, tone of voice, etc)

Impact

Describe the impact to YOU -what you thought or felt in reaction to the behavior -good: your judgement/interpretation/concerns about the behavior -better: the emotional impact of the behavior on you

When feedback doesn't work.

Disciplinary options: (verbal, written, probation, suspension, leave w or without pay, demotion, etc.) -Disciplinary processes -progressive discipline -alternatives to employee discipline (informal verbal counseling, training, pip, EAP, etc)

At-will Vs. Due-Process

Most employees have an at-will employment relationship with their employers. This means that an employer may discharge the employee for any reason, except the following: 1. Discrimination based on a protected class. 2. A reason that is contrary to public policy (e.g., the illegal firing of a whistleblower). 3. Implied (or explicit) contract Sometimes firing an employee is against public policy. For example, a Good Samaritan who is looking outside his office window might see a building on fire with a child screaming for help from a window. If, contrary to employer rules, he leaves his work station to save the child, a strong argument exists that firing the employee for this reason is contrary to the public policy of encouraging citizens to rescue one another.

6. Discuss

Open a dialogue it is a two-way street they should be engaged in the discussion "What ideas do you have" "How can we avoid this in the future"

The SBI Model

Situation Behavior Impact

4. Effect

State the effect it had on you

2. Observe

State what you saw -"I've observed/noticed that..." -"When you do x..." sets the context observations relate to behavior

Demotion:

The employee is transferred to a position with lower responsibility. Demotion is often accompanied by a decrease in pay and/of benefits.

emotional labor

These are the emotions that employees must appropriately display to do their jobs effectively ex. professional demeanor of a funeral director concern showed by physician to a patient fast food worker smiling

3. Pause

check for understanding "Do you remember that" :Did I get that right" allows receiver to comment

Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB)

closely related to the concept of contextual performance -defined as discretionary individual behavior that is not formally recognized by organizations' reward systems and that promotes the effective operation of organization

task performance

how well employees perform they formal job duties

contextual performance

the extent to which employees perform extra role behaviors (discretionary duties or duties not in one's job description) ex. mentoring a new employee or going the extra mile to help a customer. Staying late or going in early -also, this is critical for organization's performance -and supervisors/managers consider contextual performance when evaluating employee performance Similar elements as the construct of organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), but CONTEXTUAL PERFORMANCE IS MORE CLOSELY TIED TO BEHAVIORS THAT DIRECTLY RELATE TO FORMAL JOB DUTIES

Med-arb:

•A mediator attempts to help the employer and employer resolve issues. If the parties cannot come to an agreement, the mediator becomes an arbitrator who makes a binding decision (Thompson, 2005). the mediator attempts to have the parties reach a mutually agreeable solution. If the parties come to an impasse, the arbitrator will impose a final decision on the employee and employer. The premise behind med-arb is that if during mediation, parties sense arbitration "looming," they will be more motivated to reach a mutually agreeable decision (as opposed to having a decision imposed on them) (Ross & Conlon, 2000).

Mediation:

•A mediator helps the employer and employee come to a resolution of issues (non-binding). 1)An example of a discipline mediation would be an employer procedure where an employee from another department would mediate a dispute between a worker and his or her supervisor. For example, if a supervisor alleges that an employee's productivity is low, but the worker counters that the production standard is too high (or unattainable), the mediator would attempt to help the parties reach an agreement with respect to a mutually agreeable production standard. However, a mediator does not have the authority to impose a final outcome.

Arbitration

•An arbitrator receives testimony/information from the employer and the employee and makes a binding decision. may impose a binding decision on the employee after hearing testimony (and receiving other evidence) from the employee and the employer. Normally, arbitrators are third parties, with no relationship to either the employer or the employee. Oftentimes, arbitration is mandatory due to the terms of a collective bargaining agreement.

•Federal or state statutorily mandated procedures

•Approximately 2/3 of federal workers are entitled to appeal disciplinary actions to the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPD). •Many U.S. Postal Service workers are entitled to appeal disciplinary actions to the MSPD as well. •Many state and local government workers have disciplinary appeal rights provided by state statute or local ordinance. Although most employees in the United States work for private organizations, a large number of employees are government workers. For example, the U.S. government consists of nearly 2 million civilian (nonmilitary) employees. The U.S. Postal Service, which is privately funded through postal revenues and is subject to employment procedures and protections that are enacted by Congress and are similar to those of federal workers in many respects, has more 650,000 employees

At-will Vs. Due-Process

•Due-process employees are normally allowed to protest disciplinary action taken against them through internal or external procedures. •Examples of due process employees include most federal workers (including U.S. Postal Service workers); most state, city, county or other local government workers; and some private sector workers, particularly union members. •To discipline a due-process employee, there must be just cause for the disciplinary action.

Alternatives to Traditional Disciplinary Processes

•Informal verbal counseling-Sometimes merely talking with an employee regarding performance issues may increase performance. •Training/re-training- An employee's performance and conduct may be improved by additional training. •Performance improvement plans-While not generally considered discipline, these plans offer employees a roadmap for improving their performance. •Employee assistance programs (EAP)-These programs offer employees help in dealing with problems from their personal lives that might negatively affect performance.

Employer tribunals:

•Some employers have internal tribunals consisting of employee and management representatives who hear testimony and deliver decisions on disciplinary cases. often part of a union's collective bargaining agreement with the employer

Termination with right to rehire:

•The employee is involuntarily discharged. However, he or she may be rehired by the employer at a later date. Normally, the issue of right to rehire will not be relevant, except in the cases of union and/or government employees.