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Section 7
employee handbook
Purpose of the Disciplinary Procedure: The delivery of a high-quality
service to patients requires all Employees to adhere to high standards
of work performance, conduct and attendance. Where the
performance and/or behaviour of an Employee have fallen below
the required standards the Disciplinary Procedure is the agreed formal
process used to give the Employee the opportunity to bring the
performance or behaviour back to the required standard.
Heads of Service / Line Managers are responsible for making
Employees aware of the standards of attendance, work and conduct
expected from them and for dealing with shortcomings promptly and
fairly. In general, the Employee’s immediate Line Manager will deal
with deficiencies on an informal basis in the first instance through
informal counselling and offering appropriate assistance as per the
Legal Framework for People Management.
If, following informal counselling, the Employee’s performance/
behaviour continues to fall below the required standards then the
disciplinary procedure should be invoked. The purpose of the
disciplinary procedure is to help the Employee to achieve the
necessary improvements and prevent any recurrence. The agreed
stages of the procedure are:
• Verbal warning.
• Written warning.
• Final written warning.
• Dismissal with a formal hearing preceding each stage in
accordance with the Legal Framework. The process may be
shorter in serious cases.
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