Employee Disciplinary Action Policy
Discipline, though uncomfortable, is frequently essential. Disciplinary action policy acts as the reference point to what happens if employees have breached conduct standards. It defines the types of disciplinary actions the company adopts and how they are implemented, along with a table of employee offences and penalties.
Created by
Naif O. Alawbathani
|
Human Resources Adviser
Written by HR experts Fully customizable Saudi labor law ComplaintShare the calculator with an HR college
What’s included in the disciplinary action policy?
Disciplinary action policy outlines the appropriate responses the company will take to address misconduct, poor performance, or any other transgressions. The policy details unacceptable behaviors such as manipulation, misconduct, harassment, violating the law, or inappropriate treatment of colleagues.
It also covers organizational issues like attendance, and negligent maintenance of equipment.
The policy also includes a table of offences and associated penalties for employees. This table compiles various potential workplace violations and the disciplinary action that will be taken, making it easy to understand which infractions are considered more severe and their anticipated consequences.
The disciplinary action policy highlights a structured approach to handling employee violations, which includes disciplinary action examples ranging from a verbal warning to termination of service. The specific action taken is determined by the nature of the offences, ensuring fairness and transparency throughout the process.
Disciplinary Action Policy - Table of contents
1. Objective
2. Scope
3. Types of Disciplinary Actions
4. Disciplinary Procedures
5. Implementation and Review
6. Employee Offences and Penalties Table
- Offences Related to Attendance
- Offences Related to Work
- Offences Related To Employee Behaviour
Why do you need a disciplinary action Policy?
To protect the company from potential allegations of unfair actions.
To educate managers on the disciplinary action for each behavior.
To ensure equal treatment of all employees, departments and roles.
To improve employee performance by identifying poor behaviors.
How do you use the model?
Download the template and review the content.
Customize it with name, logo, behaviours and company approach (punitive or rehabilitative).
Ensure compliance by getting the disciplinary action policy reviewed by a legal/HR expert.
Add it to the employee handbook and make the reading mandatory.
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FAQ
How to make a disciplinary policy?
There are four steps to drafting a disciplinary action policy based on above sample:
Include all company policies and rules: Be thorough, detailing every rule to ensure clarity and minimize misinterpretation of employee expectations.
Describe the method and steps of discipline: Provide extensive detail on the disciplinary process, based on company approaches to disciplinary action, specifying which types of infractions lead to particular disciplinary steps.
Include a process for documentation: Clearly outline how every stage of the disciplinary process will be documented.
Describe the process of termination: If discipline leads to termination, explain clearly how termination will be enacted, including actions during and after (e.g., end of service benefits, returning company property, account closures).
What are disciplinary action and termination in Saudi law?
In Saudi law, disciplinary penalties an employer can impose include: warnings, fines, withholding or postponing a raise (up to one year), postponing a promotion (up to one year), suspension with withheld wages, and dismissal in specific cases.
It also outlines grounds for termination without award, advance notice, or indemnity. These include: worker assault on superiors; failure to perform main obligations or obey safety instructions after written warnings; committing misconduct, dishonesty, or integrity infringements; deliberately causing material loss; forgery to obtain the job; absence without valid reason for over 30 days annually or 15 consecutive days; unlawful exploitation of position for personal gain; or disclosing trade secrets.
What are the steps of disciplinary action?
The steps of disciplinary action are designed to be fair and legal as following:
Identify the issue by objectively observing and documenting problematic behavior, noting specifics like dates and times.
Investigate the issue thoroughly by gathering information, documentation, and speaking with witnesses to determine what occurred.
Hold a disciplinary hearing (for more serious cases) where the employee is informed of the allegations, provided evidence, and given a chance to present his case.
Decide and implement employee disciplinary action, assessing the issue's severity, considering company policy and mitigating circumstances.
What does a disciplinary action form look like?
A disciplinary action form serves as a formal record of an employee's misconduct or performance issue. It typically includes:
Employee Information: Name, position, and supervisor.
Incident Details: A clear, objective description of the problematic behavior or performance, including dates, times, and specific instances.
Disciplinary Action Taken: Specifies the type of action (e.g., verbal warning, written warning, suspension, performance improvement plan).
Signatures: Spaces for the employee, supervisor, and HR representative to sign, acknowledging receipt and understanding of the document.
What are the guidelines for disciplinary action?
As it is mentioned in disciplinary action policy, dismissing staff is generally covered by Saudi Labor law. There are guidelines you should follow when taking disciplinary action against an employee, like these provided in articles 66: 73.