Making mistakes is okay. Making the same mistake often isn't. That's what we mean by disciplinary policy. It's to give you clarity on what is expected and, in turn, what not to do, so you can get promoted and discover all the opportunities we can offer.
Investigations & Suspensions
Letter of Concern
Disciplinary Action
Warnings & Terminations
Concerns & Capability
Lots of situations may need an investigation. Whenever something hasn't happened quite as we would expect, an investigation is needed. It is simply a discussion, and a summary of what has been said will be made. This can be in a notebook, a recording or on a piece of paper; the point is to make sure we remember what was said so we can either look into it further or remember what was discussed.
Many investigations result in no disciplinary action. Remember this, so that when you are in an investigation you fully take part and help sort it out.
Suspensions sometimes happen too. They can be used after an investigation or even beforehand. A suspension is fully paid and is used to make sure a proper investigation can take place; sometimes you need to be off to allow this to happen. Neither an investigation nor a suspension is an admission of guilt. They are just part of a process to get to the bottom of whatever is going on.
Like we said, mistakes can happen. A letter of concern allows for this. It is a way to formally acknowledge that a mistake has taken place and confirm what is now expected of you. Think of it like an olive branch. It means that if the actions or situation were to happen a second time, a warning or termination may follow.
This is a formal meeting to discuss what happened. You will receive a letter at least 48 hours beforehand inviting you to a meeting, where someone other than the person who investigated will meet with you to discuss the allegations against you. They will have read the investigation information and will ask you any specific questions they may have.
You can ask for a member of staff who is currently employed, or a certified trade union rep, to be your companion at the meeting.
The meeting is an opportunity for you to show remorse (a sorry goes a long way), outline why you made the decision you did and, ultimately, what you will now do differently. We can't stress enough: the point of the meeting is to gain information that will help make sure the decision (the outcome) is the right one.
Lateness
Absence
Team and/or guest complaints
Failure to follow a reasonable management request
Leaving work early without permission
General bad attitude
We have a simple warning system: a warning, a final warning and/or termination. Depending on the situation, you may be given a final warning even if it is the first time something has happened. The outcome, and therefore the level of warning, will match the situation. Think: the punishment matches the crime.
We have a gross misconduct list. This is a list of things that, if you do them once, you may be sacked. It's the stuff that is so grossly bad that your employment with Wonderkid Pubs is in jeopardy. That list starts with the Golden Rules on the home page of this site.
There may be times when a warning or termination is not the right outcome, so other alternatives may be given, such as a demotion or a change of bar location. You will not be given multiple things at once: if no warning is issued then an alternative may be, or vice versa, but not both.
Lastly, if you disagree with our decision, you can appeal, meaning you want someone else (more senior, if possible) to review the decision. You will need to put your reasons for appealing in writing, and we may ask to meet with you, though not always, depending on the situation.
There may be times when a disciplinary is not appropriate, and you may be issued with a letter of concern for situations we believe warrant it. It is at our discretion whether a letter of concern or the disciplinary process is used, based on the situation. Like a warning, a letter of concern is a formal way of outlining what is expected of you. If you continue the behaviour, or further conduct issues arise, disciplinary action may be taken, and this could result in a level of warning or a summary dismissal.
What we are trying to say clearly is: a letter of concern doesn't mean the next stage is a warning. If you understand what is expected of you and choose not to do it, this may result in a loss of trust and confidence and a summary dismissal.
Likewise, there are situations where someone continues not to meet the required standards of their role. This is most likely in management positions and could be treated as a capability issue. In these cases, a performance improvement plan may be used. The process is:
Set a plan
Review the plan
Issue a warning (as above) if the required standards are not met, or take no further action
Once the person is on a final written warning, the review outcome could be dismissal with notice, demotion or an offer of a suitable alternative role (if one exists).