Analyzing Disciplinary Letters: A Case Study in Employee Relations

This case study presents an official written letter of discipline issued to Janet Shey by Neil McMunn, highlighting failures in her performance related to workplace behavior. The letter addresses instances where Janet's actions compromised a co-worker's rights, specifically Ms. Pam Stone, by discouraging her from taking necessary breaks and forcing her to work extra hours. The document emphasizes that such behavior violates company work ethics and labor relations policies, which ensure employees' rights to good treatment and consistency. It further elaborates on Janet's past records, revealing uncooperative behavior, negative body language, lack of communication, and reluctance to participate in group discussions. While acknowledging her capacity for high-volume work, the letter points out her tendency to stress co-workers by influencing them to follow her pace. The letter serves as a final reminder of the need for responsible conduct, warning that failure to improve may lead to termination. The document concludes by stating that a copy of the letter will be added to Janet's personal profile.

Running head: LETTER OF DISCIPLINE
LETTER OF DISCIPLINE
Name of Student
Name of University
Author note

1LETTER OF DISCIPLINE
To: Janet Shey
From: Neil McMunn
Date: October 29th, 2018
Subject: Letter of Discipline
This is an official written letter of discipline, which highlights certain failures of your
performance. Your position requires you to behave properly with your co-workers to
maintain harmony in the workplace. Any type of misbehaviour with the co-workers or
misleading them into situations, which can compromise their basic working rights, is a
violation of the work ethics in the company (Pocock, Charlesworth & Chapman, 2013).
Every worker of the company has the basic right to take the necessary break between works,
however your actions. On one such occasion harmed the cause of Ms Pam Stone, who was
discouraged from taking her break and was forced to work extra hour for no fault of hers.
Such whimsical attitudes or subordination of co-workers breaches the modesty that is
expected of your position. Moreover, the gestures that you have displayed while
communicating your thoughts to Ms Stone was not appropriate for an employee of your
position. These actions indirectly affects the prestige of the co-worker and can make her feel
humiliated in your presence or other co-workers.
As is seen in the labour relations policies, all the employees have the right to be subjected to
good behaviour and consistency from the company that they work in (Watson, 2013). The
employees if not subjected to good behaviour experiences negative stress, which affects the
productivity of a company. Moreover, it has been established that no human beings are to be
looked down, so as to be insulted (Zander, Botzen, Oppermann, Kjellstrom & Garnett, 2015).
It is very hard to get experienced permanent staffs, who can guide the new employees and

2LETTER OF DISCIPLINE
help them work accordingly. It is the duty of the company to protect the social rights of the
employees in the workplace according to the labour relations policies.
Keeping in mind all the above policies it has come to the notice of the company that you have
breached all of them to provide insecurity of work to Ms Stone who had been doing her duty
with responsibility. Moreover, as per you previous track records it has been found that you
have been reported to be uncooperative, where in the past also you have been involved in
arguments with your co-workers concerning various issues. It has also been reported in the
previous records that you have a negative body language, which involves inappropriate hand
gestures, which has resulted in the humiliation of co-workers. Your limitations also include
your lack of communicativeness, which has often kept the management in dark about the
developments of your actions. Your past records have also shed light on the fact that you are
reluctant about group discussions or problem solving meetings. You seem to deal with
company problems all by yourself without involving the company officials. These qualities
show that you prefer to shift away from company policies if it does not suit your ways.
The past disciplinary records of yours shed light on your reluctance to work on collaborative
tasks. You also have a tendency to interfere in other’s work and try to manipulate them to
follow your footsteps. Past incidents, similar to the present one have also occurred several
times. It is appreciable that you have the capacity to do high volume works, contributing to
the increased production of the company, but your indulgence in influencing others to the
similar volume of work becomes stressful for them, which results in depression and might
lead them to leave the job, which is not acceptable by the company. However, if you use your
abilities positively you can help to correct their mistakes and encourage to work in a more
positive manner. But your ways of approaching your co-workers are not respectful and you
are not ready to accept their strengths and weaknesses and inspire them accordingly.

3LETTER OF DISCIPLINE
Influencing others requires a high level of leadership qualities, which is not present in you.
Leadership qualities requires patience in solving any problems in a more systematic manner
(May, Peetz & Strachan, 2013). But the judgement that you have towards your co-workers
are more based on biasness than that on reasoning. This inability of yours fails you to identify
the good qualities in your co-workers. Identification of the true potential and forwarding them
to the upper management requires leadership skills which is not evident from your actions.
You have received warnings and counselling earlier regarding these issues and several verbal
warnings, but once again, you have repeated the same mistake. This letter is a reminder that
you have to do your duties more responsibly in order to contribute to the sustainability of the
company. Failing to do so might lead to your termination in the future.
A copy of this disciplinary letter will be attached to your personal profile.
Neil McMunn
Chief Dietician
October 29th, 2018

4LETTER OF DISCIPLINE
References:
May, R., Peetz, D., & Strachan, G. (2013). The casual academic workforce and labour market
segmentation in Australia. Labour & Industry: a journal of the social and economic
relations of work, 23(3), 258-275.
Pocock, B., Charlesworth, S., & Chapman, J. (2013). Work-family and work-life pressures in
Australia: advancing gender equality in “good times”?. International Journal of
Sociology and Social Policy, 33(9/10), 594-612.
Watson, I. (2013). Bridges or traps? Casualisation and labour market transitions in
Australia. Journal of Industrial Relations, 55(1), 6-37.
Zander, K. K., Botzen, W. J., Oppermann, E., Kjellstrom, T., & Garnett, S. T. (2015). Heat
stress causes substantial labour productivity loss in Australia. Nature climate
change, 5(7), 647.