A useful way to think of performance management is to think of it in terms of both employee conduct and employee performance.
Employee conduct refers to the enforcement of the employer’s rights in matters such as breaches of company policies and procedures; dishonesty, and criminal and other breaches of the law which harm the employer.
Employee performance covers issues such as performance appraisal, promotion, demotion, and employee personal grievances.
Employers should have the following general aims in mind when dealing with employee performance and/or conduct:
- to correct and/or improve the employee’s standard of conduct where appropriate, or necessary
- to provide any particular employee with an opportunity to correct unacceptable conduct (other than in situations where summary dismissal is appropriate)
- to ensure all employees are treated fairly, equally and consistently, and
- to ensure each situation is reviewed and addressed on an individual basis and in relation to the particular circumstances.
Employers inevitably will also need to deal with employee disputes and conflicts, such as conflict between workers and management, between groups of workers, between individual workers and, sometimes as a result of an individual bringing problems to work or suffering some chaos in his/her life and so creating a problem at work.
Legal advice may need to be sought for specific performance or conduct issues.