PREFACE I CHAPTER ONE: WHY WE MUST DEAL WITH …

[Pages:6]TABLE OF CONTENTS

PREFACE ..................................................................................................I

CHAPTER ONE: WHY WE MUST DEAL WITH PROBLEM EMPLOYEES..1 THE ROLE OF THE SUPERVISOR........................................................................................... 4

CHAPTER TWO: WHO ARE THE PROBLEM EMPLOYEES....................7

CONDUCT PROBLEMS............................................................................................................. 7 The Weak Employee .......................................................................................................... 8 The Corrupt Employee...................................................................................................... 9 The Guerrilla.......................................................................................................................10 The Sociopath....................................................................................................................11 The Bullies: The Thug and the Sexual Predator......................................................12

ABSENTEE PROBLEMS...........................................................................................................14 Chronic Absentee.............................................................................................................14 Innocent Absentee ..........................................................................................................15

PERFORMANCE PROBLEMS ................................................................................................16 Sane Incompetent............................................................................................................16 Delusional Incompetent ................................................................................................17 Defiant Incompetent.......................................................................................................18

MIXED PROBLEMS ..................................................................................................................19 Victim ....................................................................................................................................19 Seeksorrow .........................................................................................................................21 Physically Incapable ........................................................................................................23 Alcoholic ..............................................................................................................................23 The Protester......................................................................................................................24

CHAPTER THREE: THE TOOLS............................................................27

PRIMARY TOOLS ......................................................................................................................27 Formal Disciplinary Actions..........................................................................................27 Performance Appraisals .................................................................................................28 Performance Improvement Plans...............................................................................28 Setting Rules ......................................................................................................................29 Direct Order........................................................................................................................29

SECONDARY TOOLS ...............................................................................................................30 Informal Discipline...........................................................................................................30 Differential Treatment.....................................................................................................30

NOT EFFECTIVE TOOLS .........................................................................................................32 Psychiatric Counseling, Rehabilitation, or Therapy..............................................32 Mediation or Alternative Dispute Resolution.........................................................33

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Medical Fitness for Duty Examination ......................................................................34 Alternative Discipline......................................................................................................34 Reassignment ....................................................................................................................35 Last Chance Settlement Agreements........................................................................36 Training ................................................................................................................................36 Positive Measures.............................................................................................................37 Kindness and Appeasement ........................................................................................38

CHAPTER FOUR: THE LEGALITIES.....................................................39

DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS.......................................................................................................39 Employee Status ...............................................................................................................39 Burden of Proof in a Disciplinary Action ..................................................................40 The Four Elements of Management's Burden ................................................41 Facts.......................................................................................................................41 Cause of Action .................................................................................................41 Formal Action Justified...................................................................................42 Penalty Appropriate ........................................................................................43 Legitimate Employee Defenses...................................................................................45 Disparate Treatment................................................................................................45 Reprisal .........................................................................................................................46 Myths of Discipline ..........................................................................................................46 The Way to Fire People is to Document............................................................46 You Cannot Discipline Unless the Employee has Violated a Written Rule.....................................................................................................48 Formal Discipline is Not Appropriate Unless the Employee Has Already Been Warned .............................................................................49 You Cannot Discipline the First Time an Employee Commits an Offense, but Must Wait for a Certain Number of Violations ........49 You Cannot Prove a Case with Only One Witness.........................................49 Some Employees are Invulnerable.....................................................................50

NON-FORMAL MEASURES...................................................................................................51

CHAPTER FIVE: THE STRATEGIES AND TACTICS .............................53

THE CONDUCT PROBLEMS .................................................................................................53 The Weak Employee ........................................................................................................53 Strategies .....................................................................................................................53 Prevention ...........................................................................................................53 Immediate Correction.....................................................................................54 Further Actions..................................................................................................55 The Corrupt Employee....................................................................................................55 Strategy ........................................................................................................................56 Identification ......................................................................................................56 Prevention ...........................................................................................................57 Setting Traps.......................................................................................................59

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Spot Checks ........................................................................................................60 Formal Discipline ..............................................................................................61 The Guerrilla.......................................................................................................................61 Confront Them ..........................................................................................................61 Create Consequences .............................................................................................62 Marginalize and Flatline Them.............................................................................62 Look for Misconduct................................................................................................62 The Sociopath....................................................................................................................63 Weaknesses of the Sociopath ..............................................................................63 Tactics ...........................................................................................................................64 Stop Being Nice to Them ...............................................................................64 Control the Controller.....................................................................................65 Trigger the Offenses ........................................................................................66 Defeat in Detail..................................................................................................67 Challenge and Fight all Excuses ..................................................................68 Do Not Settle Any Complaint.......................................................................70 The Bully ..............................................................................................................................71 Strategies .....................................................................................................................71 Frighten Them into Correction ....................................................................71 Deal with the Little Problems Right Now.................................................72 Discipline, not Therapy ...................................................................................72 Push Witnesses ..................................................................................................72 THE ABSENTEE PROBLEMS..................................................................................................73 The Innocent Absentee..................................................................................................73 The Negative ..............................................................................................................73 The Positive.................................................................................................................74 The Chronic Absentee ....................................................................................................74 Forcing the Employee to Either Work or Go AWOL ......................................75 Create a Fence of Rules...................................................................................76 Question Absences ..........................................................................................76 Monitor Absences ............................................................................................78 Use Leave Restriction ......................................................................................78 Require Documentation.................................................................................78 Deny Absences and Charge AWOL ............................................................79 Discipline for AWOL .........................................................................................79 Burning Their Leave.................................................................................................79 PERFORMANCE PROBLEMS ................................................................................................80 Sane Incompetent............................................................................................................80 Give Specifics .............................................................................................................81 Offer No Hope............................................................................................................81 The Delusional Incompetent........................................................................................81 Do Not Waste Time During Feedback ...............................................................82 Do Not Waste Time Training .................................................................................82 Quantify Everything Possible ...............................................................................82

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The Defiant Incompetent ..............................................................................................83 Hold Them Accountable ........................................................................................83 Watch for and Note Time-Wasting .....................................................................85 Use Immediate Disciplinary, not Gradual Performance Measures .........86

MIXED PROBLEMS ..................................................................................................................87 The Victim............................................................................................................................87 Strategies .....................................................................................................................87 Make the Employee Accountable...............................................................87 Give no Special Treatment.............................................................................88 Don't Fall for the Tears.....................................................................................89 Do not Yourself Become the Victim............................................................90 The Seeksorrow.................................................................................................................91 Hold Them Accountable ........................................................................................91 Do not Deal with the Problems ...........................................................................91 Protect the Other Employees...............................................................................92 The Physically Incapable................................................................................................92 What is a Disability...................................................................................................92 What is Reasonable Accommodation ...............................................................94 Deal with Performance and Conduct................................................................96 Decide Whether to Treat it as a Disability or Other ......................................97 Dealing with Non-Disabilities ..............................................................................98 Light Duty....................................................................................................................98 The Alcoholic......................................................................................................................99 Protect Yourself When Alcohol is Involved......................................................99 Use Discipline, Even if You Stretch................................................................... 100 Offer Rehabilitation .............................................................................................. 101 The Protester................................................................................................................... 101

CHAPTER SIX: THE GAMES PEOPLE PLAY......................................103

WALKING OFF THE JOB...................................................................................................... 103 TAPING OTHERS.................................................................................................................... 104 DEMANDING A WITNESS .................................................................................................. 105 THE LETTER FIGHT............................................................................................................... 105 DEMANDING OVERTIME ................................................................................................... 107 THE PARENT TRAP................................................................................................................ 107 HARMFUL "ACCIDENTS"..................................................................................................... 108 INJURIES AND OWCP CLAIMS......................................................................................... 109

CHAPTER SEVEN: NON-PROBLEMS................................................111

THE MISFIT.............................................................................................................................. 111 THE WHINER........................................................................................................................... 113 THE CRITIC .............................................................................................................................. 114 THE PREGNANT WOMAN .................................................................................................. 115

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CHAPTER EIGHT: FIGHTING THE SYSTEM......................................117

FORCE FIELD ANALYSIS ..................................................................................................... 118 Driving Forces................................................................................................................. 119 Restraining Forces......................................................................................................... 119

STRATEGIES FOR DEALING WITH INTERNAL FORCES ........................................... 120 Challenging Assertions ............................................................................................... 120 Create Written Requests ............................................................................................. 122 Demand Written Responses ...................................................................................... 122 Go Over Their Heads..................................................................................................... 123 Create Fear ....................................................................................................................... 123 Formally Propose Actions or Take Actions Under Your Own Authority ..... 125 Seek Forgiveness, Not Approval .............................................................................. 125

APPENDIX: IS YOUR WORST EMPLOYEE A SOCIOPATH?..............127

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