Discipline in the workplace

Is the "one size fits all" approach dangerous?

In short, yes the one size fits all is dangerous. Discipline is of cardinal importance in the different market sectors to regulate the standard and code of conduct within a company or organisation. The basis of dismissal or any kind of discipline and enforecement of conduct in the workplace rests on the applicable rules. A good disciplinary code will create certainty and consistancy with regard to those rules. The discplinary code should be easily accessable for all employees to read and if need be to ask questions to clairify the code. This will ensure a good understanding of the rules in your specific workplace which may eliminate an unnecessary contradiction of rules.

A well drafted disciplinary code will ensure that the rules and different standards of behaviour expected from employees is clear and concise. A dismissal cannot take place if the employee was unaware of the rules and standard of behaviour. Different industries require codes and rules specific to the relevant sector of the market. It is not advisable to adopt a general disciplinary code. A general one size fits all approach can cost a company or organisation dearly when there is a dismissal and the specific standard of behaviour is not described in the code.

In order to ensure that you can fairly dismiss or discipline employees it is advisable to consult with a professional so that a tailor made disciplinary code is drawn up for your specific industry. The outsourcing of the disciplinary function is always an option to consider and will go hand in hand with independent advice.