Dear Nani,
There are two angles to look at in this situation.
There is a need to clarify your roles with the HR manager.
It is management’s task to ensure the training, development, motivation, and disciplining of staff. HR can provide the venue and the tools. A more strategic HR manager would look at how to align all aspects of the organization towards its vision and business objectives. Gone are the days when all HR did was police people, but this is a subject for another day.
What needs to be done is to take the matter up with HR.
During the meeting, be sure that you are not emotional. Be clear in your mind that this is not a turf war. Both you and the HR manager are simply trying to do your jobs. This issue should be about how to lead people more effectively.
First, state that you agree that the employee, as his record shows did have tardiness problems.
Second, tell HR that you feel that the process in which discipline was imposed was wrong. Since you are accountable for that employee’s performance, HR should have gone to you first with the records. You are in a better position to know if such suspension is merited based on your daily dealings with that employee, and you are in a better position to motivate your erring staff member.
Third, tell HR the impact of the suspension on employee or even group performance. Suggest that to avoid this next time, the better thing to do is to inform you first.
Fourth, HR has to work with management because there are operational considerations to look at. What if that employee had important tasks to finish? What if schedules got upset because the employee had to stop working for three days?
Given all this, do note that under our laws, HR cannot implement any disciplinary action without due process. That is, the staff member should be informed that he is about to be suspended and that he should explain within a given period why he should not be suspended. So, probe also how the disciplinary process was carried out.
Coach your staff member.
You did not state why your staff member was always late or how extreme tardiness is defined in your organization. If he is always late, review with him why this is so. Do not present the HR manager in a bad light. This is not an issue about HR manager versus staff member. Otherwise, you might create the impression that your staff – and your department – are untouchable. The issue is about why the staff member was suspended. The objective of your session is to help the staff find ways to come to work earlier and to get him motivated again. Your coaching session could go this way:
- Let’s talk about what happened. Can you tell me what happened? (Let him tell you how he got suspended. If you feel there’s some concern about the process, tell the staff member right off that you will take it up with HR, but that for now, you are concerned with his tardiness).
- Let’s look at the record on tardiness. (Note any patterns and point these out to him). What are the reasons for these?
- Let’s take a look at the top three factors that contribute to his tardiness. What can you do beginning today to handle these factors? (Have him write it down).
- When can we expect you to start coming early?
On the matter of his being de-motivated, you can probe and ask:
- I noticed that you seem de-motivated today. (Enumerate observable behaviors and their impact on his work). Is there any way we can help you there?
Just pick it up from there. Get him to own the motivation problem too. Ask him what he can do now to feel interested in work again. Make sure, however, that your questions are open-ended, that they are not yes-or-no questions. Otherwise, it will sound like you’re conducting a cross-examination.
I hope this helps!
All the best, |
