Pitfalls of the disciplinary process during the pandemic

In his article for People Management, founding partner Jonathan Mansfield discusses major pitfalls of dealing with employee misconduct, an issue amplified by the pandemic. He also reminds about the key principles to the hearing process and warns against careless attitude to managing virtual disciplinaries.

“Some of the worst problems have arisen because of the ill-judged assumption that suspending someone while everyone is working from home or on furlough will reduce the impact”, Jonathan says. He explains why an alternative to the suspension might have been better.

Jonathan reminds that it is more usual for managers without specific HR expertise to conduct investigations and disciplinary hearings. “Their burden is all the heavier”, he says, “as they need to grapple with technology while trying to follow the key principles of the Acas code and the employer’s procedures.”

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