How to Write a Disciplinary Report

Details of Incident or Infraction

When completing a disciplinary report, the language you use is critically important. Here are some tips for how to complete each section. Details of Incident or Infraction This section provides a detailed account of why the disciplinary report is being issued. we ask all managers to follow the B.E.E.R. acronym when writing disciplinary reports. Behaviour What is the specific behaviour that is resulting in the discipline?

 

Remember the report should target the behaviour, not the person. For example: Instead of: You seem unable to get out of bed on time and are not prioritizing your job. Say: You were 30 minutes late for work today. Although sometimes difficult, it is important to keep all emotion out of the disciplinary report. Objectively state only the facts, no matter how frustrated you are with the employee: Instead of: I cannot understand why it is so difficult for you to just show up for work on time!! Is it really that difficult!??! Say: “You have been late 8 times in the past two months”. Effect What is the effect of the employee’s behaviour? Their behaviour could impact guest service, operating effectiveness, hotel expenses, team morale, etc.

 

Ex: “Due to your lateness, your colleague had to cover your section plus her own, which caused wait times to increase and guest service to suffer”. Expectation Be clear about what you are expecting from the employee. Ex: “We expect you to be in uniform, on the floor and ready to begin your shift, at the scheduled start time”. Recap Recap and reiterate the issue and the expectation. It is also critical to advise the employee what the next steps will be, if they fail to change their behaviour. This may be done in the Recap section, or in its own separate section of the report.

 

Ex: “Your repeated lateness is having a negative impact on the team as well as on service levels. We hope and expect that you begin showing up on time for every single shift. Any further instance of lateness will result in continued progressive disciplinary action, which may result in termination of employment for cause”. Witnesses or Supporting Documentation Was the incident witnessed by anyone?

 

What documentation (or evidence) do you have that it occurred? Documentation or evidence could include punch clock records, Point-of-Sale system records, video footage or other types of physical proof. Details of Past Disciplinary Action Has the employee been disciplined before? When? Why? These details are important considerations when deciding what type of disciplinary action to take. Employee Comments Just like you should always discuss the situation with the employee and get their side of the story before issuing the disciplinary report, you should also give the employee a chance to respond to the disciplinary report and include their comments on the official record.

 

Signatures and Verification Of course, both the employee and the manager should sign the report. In a unionized workplace like Centennial Square, the employee’s union representative should be present for the disciplinary discussion and should sign the report, confirming their presence. Once all parties have signed the report, the Director of Human Resources should review it and incorporate it as part of the employee’s file or records.