Progressive Discipline
Employee Counseling Statement Link
I need to start Progressive Discipline for one of my employees. Where do I start?
Contact the Human Resources department for any questions about the system policy or procedure relating to employee counseling and progressive discipline.
What is the university's Progressive Discipline Policy?
The ASU System utilizes a progressive discipline policy. It is the goal of the ASU System to use progressive steps in employee disciplinary matters except when immediate termination is warranted. The existence and use of a progressive discipline policy does not in any way alter the at-will status of employees.
The employee's supervisor will administer any appropriate corrective or disciplinary action. Appropriate action will be determined based on factors such as severity, frequency, and degree of deviation from expectations and length of time involved. Because of the great variety of situations that may arise, the university may need to make decisions related to employment in a manner other than as provided in this section.
Disciplinary actions may take place in several forms. The forms of disciplinary actions are Verbal Counseling, Written Counseling, Final Counseling, and Dismissal. Your Human Resources Department should be consulted when disciplinary action with an employee is necessary. The following outlines the four forms of disciplinary action.
Verbal Counseling: Verbal counseling sessions may take place between employees and supervisors in situations that are deemed less serious in nature. Every effort to determine and resolve the cause of the problem should be made. At the same time, however, it should be specifically stated that the employee is receiving a formal warning. Documentation of the verbal counseling should occur utilizing the Employee Counseling Form (available from the forms section of the Human Resources website). Copies of all documentation of verbal counseling should 15 be distributed as follows: one copy to the employee, one copy to the department file, and one copy to your Human Resources Department for inclusion in the employee's personnel file.
Written Counseling: Written counseling sessions take place between a supervisor and an employee when the behavior of the employee is a repeated violation and verbal counseling has been administered, when the behavior hinders the operations of the department in which the employee works, or when the behavior hampers the progress of the university. Written warnings should be documented on an Employee Counseling Form. Copies of all written warnings should be distributed as follows: one copy to the employee, one copy to the department file, and one copy to your Human Resources Department for inclusion in the employee's personnel file.
Final Counseling: Final counseling is utilized when previous counseling has failed to produce the proper results. Final Counseling may also be utilized to address an initial incident or an incident that is too severe for a verbal or written warning yet not sufficiently severe for dismissal. Copies of all Final Counseling Forms should be distributed as follows: one copy to the employee, one copy to the department file, and one copy to your Human Resources Department for inclusion in the employee's personnel file.
Dismissals: Employment may be terminated after other disciplinary measures have failed or when a first-time incident occurs that is extremely serious. An employee may be discharged at any time without regard to any progressive steps if he or she commits an offense for which immediate discharge is specified as a penalty or if, in the university's judgment, the employee's continued presence would be contrary to the well-being of the university or its employees. Your Human Resources Department should be consulted prior to the dismissal of an employee.
Where can I find the University's policy on Progressive Discipline?
The Progressive Discipline Policy is located within the staff handbook.
Questions about the Employee Progressive Discipline Policy? Contact Human Resources for guidance.