The Administration of Discipline: Special Issues

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Poor Quality Job Performance and Discipline

There is some controversy as to the use of disciplinary action for marginal or poor performance (as opposed to rule/policy violation, etc.). While marginal performance cannot be tolerated, particularly in the emergency services, many suggest that steps be taken to address the poor performance as part of the performance evaluation process prior to consideration of any disciplinary measures.

If the employee is alerted to the poor performance and the potential consequences for not meeting performance standards and performance improvement plans are implemented and monitored, very few cases of marginal performance are likely to reach the "disciplinary process." And, this is much healthier for all parties concerned.

Some agencies keep the two processes separate and apart and simply identify dismissal as an outcome of continued inadequate and/or substandard performance.

Drug and Alcohol Related Problems

Employees who have repetitive drug and/or alcohol abuse problems present special disciplinary problems. The employer may consider a "last-chance" agreement (according to the jurisdictional personnel policy and procedures on drug and alcohol abuse) with the employee, whereby the employee is given an opportunity to seek help for substance abuse in exchange for an agreement that future violation may result in immediate termination (employer-requested substance abuse testing also may be a part of the last-chance agreement). It is always best to seek the advice of an attorney with a background in the legal mandates for employee rights in your state. Last-chance agreements should be carefully worded and developed to be clearly understood and comprehensive for both the employer and employee.

Bizarre Behavior

Bizarre employee behavior in this context means behavior unusual in nature and for which there may not be written rules or procedures that cover the behavior.

Supervisors and managers need to guard against overreacting to the bizarreness of the incident and focus directly on the seriousness of the behavior. Ask these questions in deciding what action to take.

1. Was there damage to equipment or property?
2. Was work interrupted?
3. Did behavior create an unsafe situation?
4. Did the employee know better?
5. Is the behavior correctable?
6. Did the behavior violate the law?
7. Was your work unit/department's image damaged?
8. Did the behavior damage morale?

It is important for the supervisor to realize he/she should not overreact to the incident and that your normal procedures should be followed. The employee needs to be advised of all avenues of appeal (National Fire Academy, 1994).

Reading Assignment: Please read Chapter 9, pages 167-176, from the Fire Service Personnel Management textbook by Steven Edwards.

References

Course Development Team. "Discipline At the Company Level". Leadership: Strategies for Supervisory Success. Emmitsburg: United States Fire Administration National Fire Academy, 1994.

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