The Positive Effects of Dsicipline on the Employee

According to Gerald W. Garner, author of “The Supervisor’s Role in Discipline,” discipline is summarized as the development and maintenance of a correct attitude combined with a correction agent to be utilized when the attitude falters and intentional or negligent misbehavior occurs. There are many facets to the process of discipline. If used effectively and collectively, they result in positive effects for the employee as well as the work environment.

Primarily, the supervisor must be directly involved in the disciplinary process. Employees must witness the appropriate leadership skills in a supervisor in order to feel secure in the hierarchy of the workplace. A supervisor must also be willing to take responsibility for disciplinary actions if he or she expects the employee to take responsibility for the misbehavior. To make a positive impact on the erring employee, it is necessary that the supervisor attains all the relevant facts and information pertaining to the incident prior to approaching the employee. Clearly defining all misbehaviors by investigating the entire incident as well as having a supervisor immediately involved results in an efficient and proper solution to most work-related disciplinary issues. This direct involvement of an adequately prepared supervisor is beneficial to the employee because it provides a firm idea of appropriate and inappropriate behaviors, leaving no room for assumptions or guesswork.

A second aspect of discipline that must be managed properly in order to achieve a favorable effect with an employee is the degree of fairness and consistency. It is imperative that a supervisor reiterate the background and contributing elements of the situation while explaining the disciplinary decision. This positively affects the employee by making him aware of the supervisor’s impartiality. Although the rules of discipline cannot be set in stone due to the many variances of each possible situation, it is mandatory that a level of consistency be maintained. As stated by the author, “similar misbehaviors occurring under similar circumstances must result in similar disciplinary practices.” This constant application of fairness and consistency will not only eliminate any thoughts of favoritism, but it will also promote a sense of unity among all employees in the workplace.

Another way discipline can be advantageous to an employee is when the action is meted out in a timely fashion and in a private, non-threatening environment. An employee would either become defensive or struggle to recover from embarrassment in front of coworkers. Similarly, the discipline of one employee should not concern others. Also, a delay in the disciplinary process can result in bitterness and resentment harbored