The Employee Reprimand

Week 3 LectureENC 3250: Professional Writing • Fall 2015

University of South Florida, Sarasota-ManateeLength of this lecture audio (9 slides): 00:27:01

Jot down the Week 3 lecture audio codes and the numbers of the slides wherethey are spoken; you will be sending those and the Week 4 and 5 codes

with Assignment 2 by Sept. 28, 2015© 2015 by T. E. Roberts, Instructor

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Week 3 Agenda

• Assignment 1 Update• Assignment 2: Employee reprimand• Content of a reprimand• Reprimand procedures• Sample reprimand• Tips on reprimands and other hard-to-write messages• Assignment 2 format

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Assignment 1 Grading In Process• Assignment 1 is due on Monday, Sept. 7, 6 p.m. Marked-up papers will be returned around

mid-week (Sept. 10-11); barring unavoidable delays, all grades will be posted on Canvas by Sept. 14, 2015.

• See directions on course website for how to prepare required revision -- leave all of my original marks in place and write your corrections in blue bold text nearby (do not submit a newly re-written document!). Remember: An optional revision does not raise your grade; it does, however, help you improve your writing and eliminate future errors.

• Address all marks and comments, and do not guess at how to fix an error -- consult online handbooks and Usage Tips at end of syllabus, or do a basic Google search. If you are still confused, send me an email. I will return any incomplete or incorrect revision for more work.

• Label your revision this way: Lastname_3250_1_revised.docx (use this also for the email subject line).

• To avoid grade penalty, send revision within one week after I return the graded submission to you.

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Assignment 2: Employee Reprimand

• A difficult but essential task that every manager must be able to perform when needed.

• Consider the reprimand to be a positive effort to guide -- not punish -- an employee.

• The reprimand is usually the final step in a process called “progressive discipline.”

• Managers should maintain a respectful distance from subordinates.

• Primary objectives are fairness and effectiveness.

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Content of Reprimand

• Focus on documented facts, not hearsay or uninformed opinions (manager should keep an accurate journal of events and observations).

• Down-play personality issues or conflicts.• Emphasize opportunity for improvement.• Clarify consequences of continued poor performance:

• Impacts on customers or clients <= MOST IMPORTANT• Impacts on company’s profits and competitive success• Impacts on co-workers and morale• Impacts on you as supervisor <= LEAST IMPORTANT

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Reprimand Procedures

• Follow format and procedures required by Human Resources and Legal Department.

• Clarify …• Who should review the draft? -- HR and Corporate Counsel, usually• Who should receive copies? -- Your boss, HR, and others• Who should take responsibility for the completed document? -- You the

manager

• Be prepared to defend your actions if employee counters with a formal grievance against you.

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Sample ReprimandSee link on course website for sample reprimand: http://www.todroberts.com/USF/3250_2_Reprimand.pdf

Note: this is justan excerpt fromthe sample, not theentire document.

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Tips on Reprimands & Other Difficult Messages

• Don’t procrastinate, but don’t jump the gun either (some problems solve themselves just through passage of time).

• Language should be neutral, concise, and readable … avoid jargon, be neither flippant nor pompous.

• Have an uninvolved colleague review the reprimand before sending it … as a writer, you may be too close to spot mistakes, confusion, or missing information.

• Put yourself in your reader’s place … is the message clear, concise, complete, and creative? Will it be understood? Effective? Remembered?

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Tips (continued)

• Challenge: be honest and tactful at the same time.

• Write your message to the individual being reprimanded, even though it may be read by several people.

• Never assume that your reader is “wrong” – it’s your job to meet the reader’s needs, not vice versa.

• Don’t confuse “verbal” (anything expressed in words, whether spoken or written) and “oral” (expressed only in speaking).

• Distribute the message late on Friday afternoon, as everyone is leaving for Happy Hour (just kidding!).

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Assignment 2 Format

• Use memo format (as in Assignment 1 – see syllabus)• Submit Assignment 2 by Monday, Sept. 28, 2015, 6 pm via email

to tr@sar.usf.edu (do not submit via Canvas)• Follow the file-naming and email directions outlined in Week 2

lecture and discussed in the syllabus• Draft about 1,000 words and edit that into 500 to 700 words of

concise, effective finished product• You will also send audio codes for Week 3, 4, and 5 lectures within

body of your transmitting email• Questions? Send me an email message.