ong into spur-of-the-moment decisions either. When you feel like you want to throttle someone (never recommended!) or throw the book at them, try to step back a minute and consider why that is. If it is because of what they’ve just done, fair enough; but if it’s because they’re a general pain in the b**t and this last incident was simply the final straw, then you need to tread carefully to ensure your response really does fit the crime. (Think juries not being allowed to know of past convictions and you’re along the right lines). Take time to properly gather your evidence, ensure that you have everything you need to present your case, and make arrangements for the best placed people to hold the necessary meetings, making detailed1. Put everything in writing – contracts, policies, procedures, actions agreed, meeting notes, etc. etc. You may have to sacrifice a few minutes now, but believe us, it will prove time well spent if it avoids any doubt at a later date.

2. It doesn’t pay to be nice! No, we don’t mean that you shouldn’t be friendly, polite or treat your employees well – just don’t make exceptions or excuses on the basis of wanting to “be nice” to them. It is a sad but only too often seen scenario, that in letting someone get away with being late one day, this opens the door to them being late each week; that by paying full sick pay to your star performer you’ve created a precedent for paying everyone else; and that by turning a blind eye to a policy breach for one ends up negating the whole policy which you may later want to apply to others. The moral of this story? Don’t be “nice” – be consistent and fair – it’s nicer to all in the long run!

3. Assume your employees know nothing! Not really as insulting as it sounds, but the safest way to implement concrete policies you can all rely on. If you don’t specifically tell someone something and have the document trail to show that they have been told it, you can pretty much assume that in the eyes of the law they can’t be expected to know it! If you not only make policies straight-forward, simple to read and clear to understand, but get employees to sign to say they’ve read and understood them, then everyone can know where they stand – problem solved!

4. Don’t put off ‘til tomorrow what you should be doing today! You can guarantee that the problem won’t go away, and that things really won’t improve even if left another week. All you can bank on is that you’ll have an even tougher time trying to resolve the issue, and in some instances may even have prevented yourself from safely tackling it at all. If you have a concern – act on it. That doesn’t necessarily mean disciplinary action but perhaps simply some constructive feedback and helpful pointers. Just like training a dog or a child, feedback or corrective action needs to take place as close to the event in question as possible otherwise the poor creature will have no idea what they’re being chastised (or even praised) for! If you therefore see one of your employees do something you do or don’t like – have a quiet word with them there and then whilst it’s still fresh in everyone’s memories. If you do need to consider disciplinary action, then it’s even more important that this is tackled in a timely fashion, as leaving an issue unaddressed for several weeks would suggest to everyone else that it isn’t really an issue at all, making any punitive action you want to consider appear completely unjustified!

5. Take a deep breath and count to ten…gather your thoughts, gather your evidence, and most importantly – gather your composure! Whilst you shouldn’t be putting things off, you shouldn’t be rushing headlong into spur-of-the-moment decisions either. When you feel like you want to throttle someone (never recommended!) or throw the book at them, try to step back a minute and consider why that is. If it is because of what they’ve just done, fair enough; but if it’s because they’re a general pain in the b**t and this last incident was simply the final straw, then you need to tread carefully to ensure your response really does fit the crime. (Think juries not being allowed to know of past convictions and you’re along the right lines). Take time to properly gather your evidence, ensure that you have everything you need to present your case, and make arrangements for the best placed people to hold the necessary meetings, making detailed

policy breach for one ends up negating the whole policy which you may later want to apply to others. The moral of this story? Don’t be “nice” – be consistent and fair – it’s nicer to all in the long run!

3. Assume your employees know nothing! Not really as insulting as it sounds, but the safest way to implement concrete policies you can all rely on. If you don’t specifically tell someone something and have the document trail to show that they have been told it, you can pretty much assume that in the eyes of the law they can’t be expected to know it! If you not only make policies straight-forward, simple to read and clear to understand, but get employees to sign to say they’ve read and understood them, then everyone can know where they stand – problem solved!

4. Don’t put off ‘til tomorrow what you should be doing today! You can guarantee that the problem won’t go away, and that things really won’t improve even if left another week. All you can bank on is that you’ll have an even tougher time trying to resolve the issue, and in some instances may even have prevented yourself from safely tackling it at all. If you have a concern – act on it. That doesn’t necessarily mean disciplinary action but perhaps simply some constructive feedback and helpful pointers. Just like training a dog or a child, feedback or corrective action needs to take place as close to the event in question as possible otherwise the poor creature will have no idea what they’re being chastised (or even praised) for! If you therefore see one of your employees do something you do or don’t like – have a quiet word with them there and then whilst it’s still fresh in everyone’s memories. If you do need to consider disciplinary action, then it’s even more important that this is tackled in a timely fashion, as leaving an issue unaddressed for several weeks would suggest to everyone else that it isn’t really an issue at all, making any punitive action you want to consider appear completely unjustified!

5. Take a deep breath and count to ten…gather your thoughts, gather your evidence, and most importantly – gather your composure! Whilst you shouldn’t be putting things off, you shouldn’t be rushing headlong into spur-of-the-moment decisions either. When you feel like you want to throttle someone (never recommended!) or throw the book at them, try to step back a minute and consider why that is. If it is because of what they’ve just done, fair enough; but if it’s because they’re a general pain in the b**t and this last incident was simply the final straw, then you need to tread carefully to ensure your response really does fit the crime. (Think juries not being allowed to know of past convictions and you’re along the right lines). Take time to properly gather your evidence, ensure that you have everything you need to present your case, and make arrangements for the best placed people to hold the necessary meetings, making detailed

w where they stand – problem solved!

4. Don’t put off ‘til tomorrow what you should be doing today! You can guarantee that the problem won’t go away, and that things really won’t improve even if left another week. All you can bank on is that you’ll have an even tougher time trying to resolve the issue, and in some instances may even have prevented yourself from safely tackling it at all. If you have a concern – act on it. That doesn’t necessarily mean disciplinary action but perhaps simply some constructive feedback and helpful pointers. Just like training a dog or a child, feedback or corrective action needs to take place as close to the event in question as possible otherwise the poor creature will have no idea what they’re being chastised (or even praised) for! If you therefore see one of your employees do something you do or don’t like – have a quiet word with them there and then whilst it’s still fresh in everyone’s memories. If you do need to consider disciplinary action, then it’s even more important that this is tackled in a timely fashion, as leaving an issue unaddressed for several weeks would suggest to everyone else that it isn’t really an issue at all, making any punitive action you want to consider appear completely unjustified!

5. Take a deep breath and count to ten…gather your thoughts, gather your evidence, and most importantly – gather your composure! Whilst you shouldn’t be putting things off, you shouldn’t be rushing headlong into spur-of-the-moment decisions either. When you feel like you want to throttle someone (never recommended!) or throw the book at them, try to step back a minute and consider why that is. If it is because of what they’ve just done, fair enough; but if it’s because they’re a general pain in the b**t and this last incident was simply the final straw, then you need to tread carefully to ensure your response really does fit the crime. (Think juries not being allowed to know of past convictions and you’re along the right lines). Take time to properly gather your evidence, ensure that you have everything you need to present your case, and make arrangements for the best placed people to hold the necessary meetings, making detailed

re being chastised (or even praised) for! If you therefore see one of your employees do something you do or don’t like – have a quiet word with them there and then whilst it’s still fresh in everyone’s memories. If you do need to consider disciplinary action, then it’s even more important that this is tackled in a timely fashion, as leaving an issue unaddressed for several weeks would suggest to everyone else that it isn’t really an issue at all, making any punitive action you want to consider appear completely unjustified!

5. Take a deep breath and count to ten…gather your thoughts, gather your evidence, and most importantly – gather your composure! Whilst you shouldn’t be putting things off, you shouldn’t be rushing headlong into spur-of-the-moment decisions either. When you feel like you want to throttle someone (never recommended!) or throw the book at them, try to step back a minute and consider why that is. If it is because of what they’ve just done, fair enough; but if it’s because they’re a general pain in the b**t and this last incident was simply the final straw, then you need to tread carefully to ensure your response really does fit the crime. (Think juries not being allowed to know of past convictions and you’re along the right lines). Take time to properly gather your evidence, ensure that you have everything you need to present your case, and make arrangements for the best placed people to hold the necessary meetings, making detailed

ong into spur-of-the-moment decisions either. When you feel like you want to throttle someone (never recommended!) or throw the book at them, try to step back a minute and consider why that is. If it is because of what they’ve just done, fair enough; but if it’s because they’re a general pain in the b**t and this last incident was simply the final straw, then you need to tread carefully to ensure your response really does fit the crime. (Think juries not being allowed to know of past convictions and you’re along the right lines). Take time to properly gather your evidence, ensure that you have everything you need to present your case, and make arrangements for the best placed people to hold the necessary meetings, making detailed notes as you go. Again, as per Tip1, time wisely spent now in properly preparing for the action you want to take will pay dividends later, and could even mean the difference between a fair and unfair dismissal (and several ?000)!