Take action when there has been no improvement despite your coaching of the employee
- Take action within a reasonable time frame; do not let this be a long, drawn-out process.
- Meet with your manager and your HR Division Partner to discuss how to appropriately address the problem. Note that egregious issues may not follow the process described here.
Prepare for your face-to-face meeting with the employee
- Gather your documentation.
- Write the counseling memo (or other appropriate first step) with your HR Division Partner’s assistance.
- Prepare what you will say when you meet with the employee to deliver the document:
- What occurred (e.g., actions, interactions, partner feedback)
- Your concerns about the employee’s actions or role in what occurred
- Expectations for change and the time frame for when changes need to occur
- Anticipate how the employee will react and how you will respond.
- Practice what you will say to the employee with a trusted supervisor/manager and/or your HR Division Partner.
- Schedule a private meeting space and sufficient time to have the discussion.
Meet with the employee
- Consult with your Senior HR Division Partner to determine whether a third-party witness should be present at the meeting.
- When you reach the warning letter stage, let the employee know you’re beginning the corrective action process because s/he has not made the required changes. (Counseling memos are not considered disciplinary.)
- Personally deliver the document to the employee.
- Remind the employee of previous discussions you’ve had related to the issue(s).
- Review prior agreements about expectations for performance or behavior.
- Review policies or rules the employee was expected to follow.
- Review agreements with partners about improvements in the employee’s performance or behavior.
- Review dates or timelines for when change and improvement was expected.
- Offer the employee an opportunity to respond.
- Document that you met with the employee. Counseling memos should be stored in the file you keep on your employee. Disciplinary documents should be stored in the file you keep on your employee and given to your HR Division Partner for the personnel file.
Follow up as needed
- Follow up with the employee to assess and recognize progress, address outstanding issues and/or deal with insufficient or no progress on employee’s part.
- Document the date of the conversation, the key points that were addressed and any agreements that were made.
- Follow up with your HR Division Partner if appropriate; continue to work with your HR Partner if the situation does not improve or escalates and to discuss the next step in the progressive discipline process, for example:
- Warning Letter
- Final Warning Letter
- Letter of Intent
- Confirmation of Dismissal
