Discipline: Part 2, Reprimanding (1943)

in achieving discipline a occasions arise when the supervisor must reprimand a worker these situations must be handled carefully the supervisor must have all the facts to make sure that the reprimand is deserved Brooks when I give an order there's a reason for it your failure to obey orders Mr Co at just a minute till I finish then you can talk as I started to say your failure to obey orders has put me in a most embarrassing position I told you distinctly that I must have on my desk on the second of each month the statistical summary of the previous month's Personnel esence you promised it would be here I need it right now I haven't been here since Tuesday Mr Cooper my little girl was operated on yesterday I telephoned miss Terry that I couldn't be here and asked her to complete the summary for you I've been going over it with her and making a few changes it must be nearly ready here she comes with it now well back to your Des the supervisor who reprimands unjustly loses respect and discipline personal abuse and sarcasm have no place in reprimanding say what's going on here you better wake up and tend the business look at this are you blind or can't you read see that word pink p i n k naturally you aren't supposed to use your head on this job you aren't supposed to be able to figure out that they ran out of pink forms and wrote the word pink on a white one so when you put a rush dispatch Mark pink into the finished file box to be buried you are doing all that could be expected of you take this to the Communications office right away and don't let it happen again reprimand should be given in private humiliating an offender is bad practice it I hear that you've decided to be boss around here I hear that you're giving orders to the other boys in the office when Tom told me that you were giving orders I told him then as I'm telling you now that all you boys are working together no one is to give orders here except myself that's all now let's get back to work another way for the supervisor to weaken his position is to scold and nag for the sake of showing Authority about ready Agnes yes I'm ready all right Miss Miss Hol who told you girls to carry those trays out of here why nobody we thought would' begin moving them into the new off it well put them on the air conditioner I'll tell you when to go let me give the orders around here there's no place to put your trays in the other office put them over there say that's a joke there's an air conditioner in the new office we could just as well put our trays on it oh she's just trying to show that she's B around here do not use threats in refand the victim in this case is a section head working overtime to finish up a rush job he arrives a little late next morning Mr Jones I appreciate the fact that you worked late last night but we must all set a good example for those under us we have set up a rule here that when an employee is late without an excuse he will be suspended for one day without pay and if it becomes habitual he will be discharged from the service we can't use an employee who doesn't set a good example for his subordinates of course in your case you have an excuse but no exceptions can be made remember that in the future our rules rules must and will be enforced that'll be all no more voluntary overtime could be expected from this employee how should a reprimand be given this is the case of Miss Thomas the girl who should be at this desk haret speaking this is edner Thomas Mr haret I'd like to have the rest of the week week off annual leave for the rest of the week have you filed a slip you haven't no I can't make an exception especially in your case of course you're a good worker one of the best when you're here have you seen your attendant record lately well suppose you come on in and take a look at it then if you still think you can make a good case for being granted leave I'll consider it goodbye miss Thomas good morning Mr hardness good morning Miss Thomas won't you sit down you see in the past 8 months you've taken 19 days of annual leave and 21 days of sick leave you've been late on 31 occasions almost once a week on the average I didn't realize my record was so bad your lateness of course is bad as for the leave you would earned it had a right to ask for it however a number of girls here have more leave coming to them than you've had but they've taken very little of it with this office as rushed and understaffed as it is I'm very grateful to them but you are setting a bad example have you thought of it that way Miss Thomas no I I haven't yet I can't expect the other girls to refrain from asking for leave if you continue to set the wrong example because you're the most efficient worker here the others unconsciously Look to You for leadership did you know that no I didn't well now you know it you've achieved a sort of privileged position in the unit but what have you done with it you've set an example of tardiness and remaining away from work whenever the whim strikes you the type of work you do is Rush work and when you stay away the other girls have to do it at the expense of their regular work I don't believe you're making good use of your leadership now miss Thomas if you'll make out a leave slip I'm willing to approve it I'm not want to request leave Mr Harnet farewell Miss Thomas will you get these out today yes Mr Harnet did you got that view ship's letter on one page yes by single spacing the quotation I think it looks better that way don't you yes I do that's fine thank you Miss Thomas you have just seen a repr and handled properly can you apply these principles in situations that confront you