Apr 06, 2016

Reading a recent article by Victoria Bruce, in HC Online (11 Feb 2021), I was struck again, by the continued unfairness experienced by some employees, when it comes to fair treatment for non-performance.

I say this, because she outlined several “mistakes” made by employers and managers when dealing with non-performance. And to be clear, I don’t condone non- or poor performance; if you can’t or won’t perform as expected, it needs to be managed, and this may well eventuate in termination. My incredulity stems from the fact that most of her advice reflects a failure to use good, old-fashioned common sense. Industrial law is there to support fair practice.

Let me give you an example: You are not performing and before you know it, you are dismissed. Would it be fair and sensible to say that you should, at the very least, have been made aware of your non-performance? Would it also have been common-sense to have given you an opportunity to explain why you didn’t/couldn’t perform? Would it also be fair to say that you would have appreciated some guidance and support to improve your performance if it wasn’t up to scratch, before termination?

In conclusion, it really is about taking a moment to consider what is sensible and fair, both in terms of your methods of dealing with the non-performance, as well as following your organisation’s internal disciplinary code.