Procedure:     Employee Disciplinary Actions
Department:      Human Resources
Contact:            Dennis Carr, (541) 463-5313        carrd@lanecc.edu

Managers are responsible for ensuring that discipline is not arbitrary, capricious, unreasonable, or discriminatory and is imposed within the following framework:
 

1. Employees know (or should know) in advance the risks for rule infractions;

2. Discipline is consistently applied;

3. Work rules are reasonable related to the orderly, efficient and safe operation of the department;

4. Discipline is properly escalated;

5. Discipline is corrective, rather than punitive; and

6. Discipline is timely.
 

Selecting Suitable Disciplinary Action

It is the department administrator's responsibility to:

 
1. evaluate the circumstances and facts;

2. seek guidance, if needed;

3. select the most suitable form of discipline; and

4. apply it.
 

Extremely serious offenses, such as stealing, insubordination or striking a supervisor, student or co-worker, may justify summary discharge without the necessity of prior warnings or attempts at corrective discipline.  Less serious infractions generally call for a progressive form of discipline.

Administrators are encouraged to contact Human Resources and/or Employee Relations with questions about suitable discipline.

Steps of Progressive Discipline

The steps of progressive discipline are generally:
 

1. verbal warning;

2. written warning;

3. suspension without pay; and

4. discharge.
 

Department administrators considering the discharge of an employee under these guidelines must obtain prior approval of the appropriate vice president.  If the employee is covered by the provisions of a collective bargaining agreement, the Human Resources director (or designee) and/or the Employee Relations consultant must also be consulted.