Employee Indiscipline

Leaders, managers, and teams set priorities, solve problems, make decisions, and execute plans, yet these groups of people are rarely taught a systematic process for solving business problems or making strategic decisions.

As any Human Resources department knows, business problems or issue resolution is getting more difficult every day.  Similarly, keeping employees up to date with the most important problem solving training is growing increasingly difficult.

The development of leaders who can solve problems is the foundation of effective management for the Human Resources department.
Employee discipline is defined as the regulations or conditions that are imposed on employees by management in order to either correct or prevent behaviors that are detrimental to an organization.

The purpose of employee discipline is not to embarrass or degrade an employee. The purpose is to ensure that an employee performs in a manner that is deemed acceptable by the organization. Does this mean that employee discipline is nothing more than being threatened with being fired? Of course it doesn’t. Employee discipline is much more than that.

Indiscipline means disorderliness, insubordination and not following the rules and regulations of an organisation.

Forms of Indiscipline

Indiscipline in the workplace can be direct and noticeable, causing discomfort to managers and co-workers because of its sometimes confrontational or aggressive nature. These behaviors set a bad example to other workers, undermine the authority of supervisors and create a sometimes-scary work environment.

Direct Types of Indiscipline in the Workplace

Indiscipline in the workplace can be direct and noticeable, causing discomfort to managers and co-workers because of its sometimes confrontational or aggressive nature. Employees may make loud, disparaging remarks about supervisors, or saunter into work half an hour late. Other examples include not calling to report an absence ahead of time, using profane language, behaving unprofessionally with customers or blatantly defying orders from employers.

These behaviors set a bad example to other workers, undermine the authority of supervisors and create a sometimes-scary work environment. Don’t be drawn into confrontations with aggressive employees; document behaviors and then dismiss these problematic workers if appropriate. Chances are, you don’t want them around.

Indirect Types of Indiscipline in the Workplace

Indiscipline in the workplace can also be more indirect and less noticeable but still problematic. Examples of indirect indiscipline might include working sluggishly to avoid taking on new assignments, encouraging coworker misconduct with laughter, or agreeing with constructive criticism but then not applying suggestions to work quality or productivity.

Indirect discipline can be tricky in that it’s harder to pinpoint and managers may be reluctant to intervene for seemingly small problems. These can grow into bigger problems, however. Managers can avoid ungrounded accusations by first asking employees to explain behaviors.

For example, state, “After our conversation last week I was under the impression that you were going to try another strategy, but I haven’t noticed any changes. Explain how you’ve incorporated my suggestions.”

Unwitting Indiscipline in the Workplace

Workplace indiscipline can also be unwitting in that employees don’t know or haven’t been informed of expectations and professional standards. For example, perhaps employees routinely take personal calls or update social networking accounts on company time because other workers appear to be doing the same thing.

Unless your company handbook prohibits such activities, it may not be clear to workers that you view this as misconduct. Provide employees with detailed handbooks outlining discipline expectations, including consequences for infractions. Employee training and workshops can also emphasize expectations.

Approved Indiscipline in the Workplace

Another type of workplace indiscipline includes unwanted activities and behaviors that aren’t commented upon by managers or supervisors, sending mixed messages to employees about expectations. For example, perhaps the company handbook clearly states that profane language and discriminatory comments are prohibited in the workplace. But managers may look the other way or even participate in conversations grounded in foul language, letting employees know that this type of misconduct is acceptable in the workplace despite stated company rules.

To eliminate this type of indiscipline, apply consistency to discipline guidelines so that managers, supervisors and employers must adhere to the same expectations as employees.

It is very difficult to lay down exhaustively as to what would constitute misconduct and indiscipline. It would depend upon the examination of facts. Some of the acts of misconduct are mentioned in the Model Standing Orders as a part of the rules made under the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act of 1946. Non-performance of duty is a serious misconduct, because it is basically inconsistent with the obligations of employment. Under the act of negligence, an employee fails to give full care and attention on account of which the work becomes defective, and production suffers both in quantity and quality. It is a misconduct to cause disorder on the premises, intimidate, threaten or assault other employees and use abusive language. Preventing the entry and exist of willing employees and movement of goods to and from the factory, obstructing the work being carried on, damaging the property of the employer, indulging in mischief or other objectionable activities, occupying the employer’s premises or property, go-slow, etc. are forms of misconduct.

Insubordination, assault or threat to superior officers, defamation, making false complaint, are all acts of indiscipline. Non-performance of work during working office hours, tampering with official records, and misappropriation of accounts is acts of indiscipline which are considered to be of serious gravity.

Causes of Indiscipline

The important causes of indiscipline are analyzed under three heads:

• Organizational Factors
• Individual Factors
• Environmental Factors.

Organizational Factors

• Where the organization, while hiring the employees, fail to assess the traits of individuals like attitude, obedience, tolerance and inquisitiveness, it may end up hiring employees who challenge any decision made by the management. This may breed indiscipline.
• Lack of code of conduct for employees has potential to disorient them thereby sowing seeds of indiscipline.
• Where an employee hired for a job for which he has neither aptitude nor attitude, he is sure to develop ill-feelings. He may find the job uninteresting and do everything to evade responsibility.
• Ineffective leadership characterised by authoritarianism and incompetency, and distrustful relations with employees fuel indiscipline among the employees.
• Indiscriminate use of penal provisions triggers reactionary group indiscipline.
• Favouritism and nepotism practiced by supervisors vitiate discipline.
• Divisive policies pursued by management and instituting unofficial spy network spoils the work atmosphere thereby engendering indiscipline.
• Biased performance evaluation on considerations of caste, creed, colour, gender, religion and region promotes ill-feeling and a sense of injustice among employees which culminate in indiscipline.
• Absence of grievance redressal mechanism frustrates employees thereby breeding indiscipline among them.

Individual Factors

Individual differences caused by education, experience, values, attitudes, beliefs, intelligence, personality, etc., cause employees to behave differently in an organization. Therefore some individuals conform to rules and standards of behaviour in much wider context than others. Individual features that lead to indiscipline behaviour are as follows:

• Individuals with non-conformist values tend to engage in indisciplined behaviour.
• Every individual perceives reward and punishment differently and react to it accordingly. When the reward is not commensurate with his expectation, he may feel frustrated and indulge in indiscipline.
• Individuals differ in work ethics. Those with high ethical values tend to be committed and involved in the jobs while those with low ethical values show alienation to their jobs and exhibit negative behaviour.

Environmental Factors

Since an organization is also one of the members of the society, discipline observed by the society manifests in organizations. Indiscipline prevailing in family, educational institutions, political system, religious institutions, break down of social control mechanism, etc., casts its ugly shadow on the organizational climate.

Other Reasons

There are several other reasons responsible for creating indiscipline among employees. They include wrong delegation of authority, faulty ways of fixing responsibility and host of social and psychological reasons that are responsible for indiscipline among employees. The indiscipline results among employees interrelated and interwoven internal and external causes. These causes can be finished and very well handled by the effective leadership that suits the requirements of attainment of organisational goals.

Preventive Measures

The following are some of the measures taken for maintaining discipline at the workplace:

• The rules and regulations for maintaining discipline should be framed in consultation with the employee’s representatives.
• Employees should be given a chance to improve their behaviour. The past offences as far as possible be condoned after some time.
• Rules should be made known to employees and they should be reminded of those rules after regular intervals.
• Rules should not be made rigid but they should change with time and changes in the working conditions.
• There should be uniformity in application of rules. Everybody should be treated equally before rules.
• Breach of rules by any employee should not be allowed and rules breakers should be dealt with firmly.
• It should be remembered that the aim of rules is to prevent indiscipline and not to cause harassment to the employees.
• The offences of grave concern should be dealt with firmly by appointing a committee to enquire thoroughly in the matter. The committee should be un-bias in its dealings.
• There must be a provision for appeal and disciplinary action taken should be reviewed if required.

Disciplinary Action

The purpose of discipline is to encourage employees to behave sensibly at work, where being sensible is defined as adhering to rule and regulations. In an organisation, rules and regulations serve about the same purpose that laws do in society; discipline is called for when one of these rules or regulations is violated.

Disciplinary action is a method of dealing with employees who cause problems or do not follow company rules and policies.

Companies use a range of disciplinary procedures depending on the severity of the transgression.

Types of Disciplinary Action

• Informal disciplinary procedures: are not codified and are usually handled discretely by a manager
• Formal procedures: are codified in a company handbook or employment contract and followed closely by the employer

For serious transgressions employees are likely to be suspended from work.

Disciplinary Action Levels

There are various disciplinary actions as per level of indiscipline and generally they follow a typical sequence of steps as per seriousness – verbal warning, written warning, suspension, and dismissal.

• Written verbal warning: The mildest form of discipline is the written verbal warning. It is a temporary record of a reprimand which is then placed in the manager’s file of the employee. It should state the purpose, date and outcome of the interview with the employee. This warning remains in the hands of the manager. It is not forwarded to the personnel department for inclusion in the employee’s personnel file. The written verbal reprimand is best achieved if completed in a private and informal environment. The manager should begin by clearly informing the em­ployee of the rule that has been violated and the problem that this infraction has caused. If the written verbal warning is effective, further disciplinary action can be avoided. If the employee fails to improve, the managers need to consider more severe action.
• Written warning: The second step in the progressive discipline process is the written warning. In effect, it is the first formal stage of the disciplinary procedure. This is so because the written warning becomes part of the employee’s official personnel file. This is achieved by not only giving the warning to the employee but sending a copy to the personnel department to be inserted in the employee’s permanent record.
• Suspension: A suspension or lay-off would be the next disciplinary step, usually taken if the prior steps have been implemented without the desired outcome. If the infraction is of a serious nature, suspension is ordered without any prior verbal or written warning. A suspension may be for one day or several weeks; disciplinary lay-offs in excess of a month are rare. A short lay-off, without pay, is potentially a rude awakening to problem-employees. It may convince them that management is serious, and force them into accepting responsibility for following the organisation’s rules.
• Demotion: If suspension has not been effective and management wants to avoid dismissing the problem-employee, demotion may be an alternative. Demotion is a disciplinary action whereby an individual is sent back to a lower position in the company. However, it tends to demoralise not only the employee but the co-workers (peers) as well. Moreover, it is not a temporary action. It is a constant punishment to the demoted employee and hence has broad motivational implication.
• Pay-cut: Another alternative, also rarely applied in practice, is cutting the problem-employee’s pay. The pay cut usually has a demoralising effect on the employee, and is suggested as a rational action by management if the only other alternative is dismissal.
• Dismissal: Management’s ultimate disciplinary punishment is dismissing the problem employee. Dismissal should be used only for the most serious offences. Yet it may be the only feasible alternative when an employee’s behaviour is so bad as to seriously interfere with a department’s or the whole organisation’s operation.