Owning or operating a business with even one employee can be both fulfilling and stressful at the same time. Minnesota employers that take on the challenge of hiring employees are providing those employees with a means to support themselves. However, those business owners also take on the trials of addressing workplace problems when their employees fail to meet performance expectations and/or to follow their rules.
Employee discipline is a difficult, but necessary, practice that continues to permeate the employer – employee relationship. Employers that tend to have better success in this area are those that strive to establish and communicate clear employee performance expectation and discipline policies. Failure to make this part of any overall business model quickly leads to miscommunication about employee expectations and affects the way the employer does business. It may also result in inadvertent inconsistent treatment of employees, and adversely affect the employer’s overall legitimacy in the eyes of its employees, customers, clients, vendors, and the public at-large.
So what clearly communicated disciplinary policies are right for my business? The answer to this question is why planning and proactive action is necessary. The reality is that an employer’s disciplinary policies and procedures should serve the distinct needs of that particular employer. It is those written policies that serve the interests of the employer by providing employees with consistent expectations, no matter what positions they hold in their organizations.
Employee discipline policies can be both respectful of the expectations employers have for their workers while protecting employers from the potentially damaging conduct of those that work for them. Different legal strategies may serve the needs of different employment entities.
For that reason, employers should reach out to the knowledgeable employment attorneys at Quinlivan and Hughes, P.A. to assist with drafting new policies or to review and revise existing policies. You can reach us at 320-200-4928 or contact us online.
Established more than 100 years ago, Quinlivan & Hughes ranks among the oldest and largest law practices in Central Minnesota. The full-service law firm has growing legal teams in the areas of employment law, business law, government law, insurance defense, trust and estate planning, and general litigation. Learn more at Quinlivan.com.
