Guide Sheet #14
As a County Extension Director, it is your responsibility to support the efforts of your entire team, including other program and support staff. When in a supervisory role, part of your responsibility will involve helping your team members assess their performance.
Occasionally, employees will demonstrate performance or behavior that is unacceptable. For the most part, continuous feedback will help employees correct sub par performance or unacceptable behavior before it gets out of hand. There may be times, however, when regardless of your efforts, the employee’s performance or behavior continues to be unacceptable. At this point, corrective action will be necessary.
Keep in mind that the main objective of corrective action is to correct the employee’s behavior, not to punish him/her. Corrective action serves several purposes for Ohio State University Extension and its employees.
From an organizational perspective, corrective action does the following:
- Maintains order and enforces rules
- Enhances employee morale and productivity
- Helps rehabilitate employees who choose to correct their behavior
- Helps terminate employees who choose not to correct their behavior
From the employee’s perspective, corrective action:
- Sets clear standards
- Assures predictable, progressive, and equitable treatment
- Promotes fair decisions
- Provides a process of appeal
In Ohio State University Extension, corrective action is progressive in nature so that it uses the least severe action necessary to correct unacceptable behaviors and moves to more severe measures only if the problem persists. Current University guidelines must be followed.
Civil Service Employees (CCS) Guidelines
Five levels of corrective action are used. The levels, in order, are: counseling; written reprimand; minor suspension; major suspension; and termination. As a County Extension Director, you may initiate the corrective action process. However, moving beyond the written reprimand requires that you involve your Regional Director; Leader, Human Resources; and may involve The Ohio State University Office of Human Resources.
Administrative & Professional (A&P) Guidelines
Three levels of correction are used. The levels, in order, are: verbal counseling; documentation of performance issues accompanied by a performance improvement plan; and termination. As a County Extension Director, you may initiate the corrective action process. However, moving beyond the written reprimand requires that you involve your Regional Director; Leader, Human Resources; and may involve The Ohio State University Office of Human Resources.
All Employees
As a supervisor, you have the responsibility to promote positive employee morale and to maintain a positive work force. To do so, it is helpful to establish “ground rules” by which employees are expected to conduct themselves. The rules should be clear, reasonable, and understandable. Employees will conform to rules that are clear and that they deem reasonable. You should not assume that employees will learn rules by word of mouth. Establishing rules in writing and keeping them accessible to employees eliminates opportunity for confusion and misunderstanding. It also allows for review of the ground rules and updating if necessary.
Supervisors who enforce work rules consistently and without discrimination gain the respect and cooperation of employees. This respect can be lost quickly, however, if some employees are allowed to bend the rules or are treated differently than others. By establishing clear, reasonable, and understandable work rules, communicating them clearly, and applying them fairly and consistently, you are setting the standards for employee performance and behavior.
When the need arises to take corrective action, consult with your regional director who will then involve other appropriate administrative personnel when necessary. Additional information regarding the corrective action process can be found in the document “Understanding the Corrective Action Process” which is available at http://hr.osu.edu/ohrc/er_correctiveaction.aspx.
References:
“Support Material For Taking Corrective Action” (1993). Ohio State University Extension.
OSU Human Resources Website: http://www.ohr.ohio-state.edu/ohrd/pmmenu.htm
Written by: Dr. Bill Haynes, District Director, 1998
Reviewed by: Dr. Nikki Conklin, Dr. Gail Gunderson, Dr. Garee Earnest, Bill Owen, Lou Fourman and Linda Kutilek
2005 Revisions: Linda Kutilek, Melissa Heiselt
2009 Revisions by: Elizabeth Merkowitz (HR Intern), Dr. Garee W. Earnest