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Georgia Progressive Discipline

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What is meant by the term progressive discipline, in

Georgia?

Think of progressive discipline as a progression up a “ladder” of increasing disciplinary severity. It is a systematic, stepwise method of disciplining an employee, in Georgia or anywhere else.

Each step in a workplace policy of progressive discipline involves consequences that are clearly spelled out. Each step may represent more serious results, from a retraining session to firing. Any plan with plainly outlined consequences for each consecutive violation is a progressive discipline policy.

There are definite advantages to a progressive discipline policy. For example, the employee is provided with a list of outcomes that are defined clearly. Often this outline is provided in an employee handbook. Because the worker knows the consequences, he or she is in a sense choosing the level of discipline. And the method is objective, fair to all workers.

Employees should be made aware of the steps in advance. The policy should be administered consistently, to guarantee fairness. If one employee is allowed to come to work late but face not consequences and another faces discipline, then the employer is vulnerable to charges of favoritism or discrimination. But at the same time, the plan should be flexible, allowing for unusual situations – like the consistently on-time employee who comes to work late on one occasion because her husband suffered a heart attack that morning.

The primary goal of a progressive discipline plan is to define what is unacceptable workplace behavior, with opportunities for improvement. It is not meant as punishment.

This is an example of a possible progressive discipline policy:

An employee comes to work 3 or 4 hours late without a sufficient reason. He or she is given retraining in the company’s tardiness policy.

The same employee comes in late a second time. He or she is given a verbal warning.

On the third and fourth occasion, a supervisor may hand out written warnings.

On the fifth violation, a three-day suspension without pay may be in order. And on the sixth occasion, the employee would be fired.

Employers and Human Resources professionals often confuse progressive discipline with peer review or discipline meted out by a team of co-workers. In reality, supervisors usually hand out the discipline in this system. JH