FREE online courses on Employee Grievances and Discipline - Punishment

 

Depending on the gravity of misconduct, management may initiate the following punitive actions against the employee who is found guilty:
(i) dismissal; (ii) discharge; (iii) discharge simpliciter; (iv) suspension; (v) demotion to a lower grade; (vi) with-holding of increments; (vii) fine; and (viii) warning censure. Of these, suspension, discharge or dismissal may be classified as major punishments, while awarding a fine, warning or censure are regarded as minor punishments. In establishments where the Industrial Employment (Standing order) Act is applicable, the employer can award only those punishments, which are mentioned in the Standing Orders. The object of punishing an employee in a minor way is to express the concern of the employer for maintaining discipline in the establishment. Oral warnings, written censure, fines, etc., all aim at preventing the employee from going off the track. The fine may hit the take-home-pay of the employee, warnings may be entered in his personal record, loss of increment has an element of shame attached to it and demotion may be extremely humiliating for the delinquent employee. Discharge simplicitor means termination of an employees' services for loss of confidence and trust and does not carry the stigma of misconduct. Major punishment such as suspension, discharge and dismissal need further elaboration and are hence discussed separately here.