Performance Concerns, Warnings, and Corrective Action (Responsive)
While the School’s feedback and growth process is the primary method for improving employee performance, supervisors may occasionally provide more specific and directed feedback when something needs to be addressed. These special interventions do not follow an annual calendar or evaluation cycle but will occur as needed. Thus, employees who have not been notified of concerns can assume that their ongoing performance is satisfactory.
The primary purposes of the performance improvement process are to correct problems, prevent recurrences, and help employees achieve satisfactory performance and conduct in the future. By utilizing various types of responses, we hope that most challenges can be corrected or adjusted at an early stage, benefiting both the employee and the School. As part of this process, employees must accept personal responsibility for maintaining high standards of conduct and job performance, including observing the School’s policies and procedures.
In addressing deficiencies in conduct and work performance, the School strives to be fair and consistent with employees. Many factors are considered when implementing the performance improvement process, including the nature and seriousness of the challenge, past performance record, impact on the School, and any mitigating or aggravating circumstances. In general, disciplinary or corrective action may include any or all the following measures:
- a conversation / concerned inquiry,
- performance coaching,
- verbal warning(s),
- written warning(s),
- a performance improvement plan (PIP),
- probation,
- suspension with or without pay,
- and termination of employment.
The purpose of disciplinary measures short of employment termination is to encourage improvement of conduct or performance. These interventions may be seen as escalating in nature, but an employee may enter the process at any level, and it is not expected that each step will be followed in turn. If an employee’s continued employment is in jeopardy, that will be spelled out in a written warning, PIP, or probation/suspension letter. The timeline of the feedback and evaluation process will be individual to each circumstance.
These disciplinary measures will not apply in the event of an offense that warrants immediate termination of employment or in other circumstances when the School determines, at the School’s sole discretion, that intermediate measures would be inappropriate.