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Adverse Action is a formal administrative action intended to correct an employee's on-the-job behavior or performance to an acceptable level when other informal measures have proven unsuccessful.
Key questions a supervisor or manager should answer before pursuing formal adverse action:
1. Have I clearly communicated to the employee what is considered satisfactory behavior/performance to be successful on the job?
2. Have I clearly communicated the departmental policies that the employee is expected to follow?
3. Have I provided the employee with the necessary tools to perform his/her job?
4. Have I made the employee aware of the processes needed to perform his/her job through coaching, training, etc?
5. Does the employee have the necessary skills and knowledge to successfully perform his/her job?
6. Does the employee understand the impact that his/her inappropriate behavior or substandard performance has on the work environment, including office morale and the ability of the office to meet its business goals and obligations to its customers?
7. Have I taken appropriate steps, as identified in the Department's Constructive Intervention Guidelines, to facilitate a change in inappropriate behavior or substandard job performance?
8. Have I called the Constructive Intervention Unit to discuss the performance matter and subsequently referred employee to the Employee Assistance Program for services or resouces?
9. Am I ready to pursue formal administrative action?
When, in spite of prior informal corrective measures, an employee continues a pattern of unacceptable behavior, appropriate formal disciplinary measures should be explored. The request for adverse action should include an Adverse Action Information Summary, Form GS 1000, with required office signatures, and all documents relevant to the allegations or incidents giving rise to the request.
The severity of the penalty recommended (on the Form GS 1000), should be appropriate to the allegations or incidents leading to the action. It should not be overly punitive, but be a reasonable penalty intended to "get the employee's attention", and prompt a correction of behavior.
The recommended penalty should also take into consideration the employee's length of service, prior disciplinary actions, and the seriousness of the act or omission.
(Note: The term "progressive discipline" refers to degrees of adverse action penalties, not informal corrective steps taken prior to an adverse action. Therefore, unless an employee commits some extreme offense that warrants immediate dismissal, an initial adverse action should begin with a lesser penalty. Subsequent actions would increase the penalty up to dismissal.) |
