What to do if You're Afraid to Discipline Cleaning Technicians
Employee discipline is one of the most difficult experiences that managers face. While some leaders rise to the occasion, others avoid confrontation at all costs. They worry about hurting an employee's feelings, or fear the employee will quit.
Letting even a minor infraction slide, however, can destroy your credibility and create chaos. When you ignore rather than discipline, you demonstrate to your entire staff that the rules don't matter.
Here are a few strategies to help you overcome the fear of enforcing rules and disciplining your cleaning technicians
Start with Positive Feedback
Employees who receive regular positive feedback are more likely to feel a sense of pride in their work and in their employer. Without praise, an employee's work ethic may fade and allow them to more easily disregard rules.
Unfortunately, many cleaning business owners fail to recognize their employees. One study found that 63% of employees feel they don't get enough praise. While it's easy to get swept up in day-to-day operations, it's vital to make time for appreciation because 66% of employees say they would quit if they don't get enough.
If you don't already have one, create a formal employee appreciation program to make recognition a regular part of your management routine.
Establish Clear Rules
One reason business leaders can struggle with consistent discipline is because they lack clear and consistent rules. When every employee knows the rules and procedures, there are fewer misunderstandings about what is and isn't allowed, as well as the penalties for infractions.
Another reason to have rules, is that it makes it much easier to discipline when an employee makes an infraction. After all, if it's in black and white, it's much easier to point it out to the employee that broke the rule. Sorry, it says so right here, and you signed off on it.
Your employee handbook should include a comprehensive section on employee conduct. Make no assumptions. Cover everything from dress codes and mobile usage to tardiness and conflicts of interest. Also include rules for illegal behaviors like theft, drug use, violence, and harassment.
Another section of the handbook should explain the discipline methods you use. Two of the most common include:
- Progressive discipline, which includes increasing levels of severity when an employee fails to correct an issue (verbal warning, written warning, probation, termination). It can provide the most protection from legal action, but you may want to add employment at-will language to explain what actions can result in immediate firing.
- Performance improvement plans (PIPs), which are a rehabilitative approach vs. the punitive approach of progressive discipline. PIPs may have check-in points, measurable goals, and a training process to help an employee if they don't meet the goals.
Review your employee handbook with each employee and have them sign it.
Keep Good Paperwork
Documentation is key when you must discipline an employee. It not only provides protection in a possible legal action, it can also provide confidence for a manager afraid of having the difficult disciplinary conversation.
Keep an employee file that includes the person's reviews and any verbal or written warnings. You can also include documentation about things like tardiness or lack of preparation.
Documenting issues provides a record that shows a pattern of behavior. If you only take mental notes of issues, you'll inevitably forget things. You may also lack specifics when the time comes to discuss the problem with the employee. That's not fair to the employee, and will only make it more difficult for you to discipline or fire them.
Check Your Mindset
It's valuable to spend a little time thinking about why you're afraid to discipline.
Do you fear upsetting the employee? You may need to create better boundaries and draw clear lines between your personal and professional relationships. Do you fear the employee will quit? You may need to put better recruiting plans in place so you're not flying by the seat of your pants.
Also, how do you view discipline? If you equate it with punishment, you're more likely to dread it. In truth, it is about helping them become more effective.
Take time before the disciplinary discussion to get in the right frame of mind. Reframe it from “this will be difficult” to “I want to help my employee” or “I want to protect my company.” This simple shift can be enough to help you feel more positive and confident about the conversation.
It can also be useful to use empathy to put yourself in your employee's shoes. You'd want to know if you were underperforming or doing something inappropriate. You'd appreciate the opportunity to improve rather than facing termination without warning.
Remember, disciplinary actions are about giving good or mediocre employees the chance to improve. It is also an opportunity to weed out the bad apples who don't care about their jobs or your company.
Follow Procedures
Confrontation is not easy or fun for most people. Preparing yourself ahead of time for the conversation can reduce some of the stress.
- Bring the employee's file and your staff handbook to the meeting. Review what has already been documented in their file and how the issues are in violation of the company's rules that they previously signed and agreed to.
- Give credit where credit is due. If the employee has made any positive improvements, show your appreciation to keep a positive tone even when reprimanding them.
- Discuss any issues that have not been resolved and look for solutions. Instead of "you need to be on time,” say " I noticed you were late for three of your shifts this week. What can we do to prevent that from happening again?" Perhaps a slight change in start time would allow the employee to be on time for every shift. By working together to find a solution, you'll both feel more invested in making progress.
- Explain the next steps based on your company's documented disciplinary protocol. What consequences or restrictions are being enforced at this time? Will you be having a follow-up meeting? If so, when? Leave the meeting with a clear plan.
- Stick to the plan and remain consistent in your reactions. You've set the expectations, now is the employee continuing to meet them? If they don't, are you following through with the action plan you laid out during your last meeting?
- Keep documentation of this meeting for future meetings or potential litigation. It's better to be safe than sorry. Should you need to terminate or suspend an employee, having clear documentation of all the disciplinary steps you've taken will be a big help in avoiding an unemployment claim or wrongful termination suit.
Don't let poor-behaving employees hold you hostage. Shift out of fear and instead take a powerful, proactive approach to discipline. Being clear and consistent will positively affect your team's performance and productivity—and make those difficult conversations well worth it.
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