Rule Breakers

Marginal
Employees
Chemically &
Mentally Impaired
Employees
Lecturer : Mr. Mark Posa

Researcher : Ms. Honey Jean Aron

Power Point & Hand outs:

Ms. Katreena Sobremente

Food and Beverages : Mr. Jaypee Sta. Cruz

Overall In-Charge : Ms. Gladys Pantilgan

 When employees are unsuccessful in meeting organizational
goals, managers must attempt to identify reasons for this
failure and counsel employees accordingly.

If employees fail because they are unwilling to follow rules or

established policies and procedures, or they are unable to
perform their duties adequately despite assistance and
encouragement, the manager has an obligation to take
disciplinary action.
Discipline
comes from the Latin term disciplina which means teaching,
learning, and growing
Involves training or molding of the mind or character to bring
about desired behaviour
the process of training a worker so that he can develop self-
control and can become more effective in his work. (Ordway
Teads)
Often considered as a form of punishment
Can have negative consequences, but can be a powerful
motivator for positive change
Has an educational component as well as a corrective one
 a discipline that assists the
employees growth.
also defined as training,
educating, or molding.
punishment may be applied
for improper behavior, but it
is carried out in supportive
and corrective manner
the primary role of the
manager becomes that of
coordinator and helper,
rather than enforcer
 Necessary means for controlling
an unmotivated and self-centered
workforce
the big stick approach
focused on eliminating all
behaviours that could be
considered conflict with
organizational goals without
regard for employee growth.
may succeed on a short-term
basis
usually demotivating and reduces
long-term productivity
often administered arbitrarily, and
is unfair either in the application
of rules or in the resulting
punishment
 Managers have the formal authority and
responsibility to take progressively stronger
forms of discipline when employees fail to
meet expected standards of achievements.

Inappropriate discipline can undermine the

morale of the whole team
 the process of using increasingly severe steps or
measures when an employee fails to correct a
problem after being given a reasonable opportunity
to do so.

underlying principle is to use the least severe action

that you believe is necessary to correct the
undesirable situation. Increase the severity of the
action only if the condition is not corrected.
1.Informal reprimand or includes an informal
verbal admonishment. meeting between the
employee and manager
to discuss the broken
rule or performance
deficiency.
the manager suggest
ways in which the
employees behavior
might be altered to keep
the rule from being
broken again.
all that is needed for
behavior modification.
2. Formal reprimand or written admonishment
If rule breaking recurs after verbal admonishment,
the manager again meets with employee and issues
a written warning about the behavior that must be
corrected.
 The written warning is very
specific about what rules or
policies have been violated, the
potential consequences if
behavior is not altered, and the
plan of action the employee is
expected to take
Both the manager and
employee should sign the
warning to signify that the
problem or incident was
discussed.
 The employee must be allowed to respond in
writing to the reprimand, either on the form
itself or by attaching comments to the
disciplinary reports; this allow the employee
to air any differences in perception between
the manager and the employee.
3. Suspension from work

Either with pay or without pay

If the employee continues the undesired behavior despite of

verbal and written warnings, the manager should remove
the employee from his or her job for a brief of time.

The suspension gives the employee the opportunity to

reflect on the behavior and to plan how he might modify the
behavior in the future.
4. Involuntary termination or
dismissal

Termination should always be the last

resort when dealing with poor
performance.

If the manager has given repeated

warnings, and rule breaking or policy
violations continue, then the employee
should be dismissed.
 It is vital that the nurse manager recognize their power in
evaluating and correcting employees behavior .
The first strategy the manager must use is to investigate
thoroughly the situation that has prompted the employee
discipline.
To determine the appropriate level of discipline, the manager
must investigate, document, examine the employees record,
and look at the severity of the problem.
Another strategy is to consult with either a superior or the HR
department before dismissing an employee.
Managers must be careful not to discuss with employee the
reasons for discharging another employee or to make
negative comments about past employees.
 a strategy that the manager can use to create a disciplined
work environment
the manager actively brings areas of unacceptable behavior
or performance to the attention of the employee and works
with him to established a plan to correct deficiencies.
less threatening because the manager becomes a supporter
and a helper
 A more formal measure used when coaching is
unsuccessful in modifying problem behavior

The manager must confront the employee with their

findings, after a thorough investigation of employees
offenses.
1) Reasons for disciplinary action
- begin by clearly specifying why the employee is being
disciplined. The role of manager includes authority. A major
responsibility in this role is evaluating employee
performance and suggesting appropriate action for
improved or acceptable performance.
2) Employees response to action
- give the employee the opportunity to explain why the
rule was not followed. Allowing employees feedback ensures
them recognition as human being and reassure them that
the ultimate goal is to be fair and promote your growth.
3) Rationale for disciplinary action
- explain the action that you are going to take and this
should be communicated to the employee.
4) Clarification of expectations for change
- describe the expected behavioral change, and list the
steps needed to achieve this change. Explain the
consequences of failure to change. Be clear to the employee
that timely follow up will occur.
5) Agreement and acceptance of action plan
- get an agreement and acceptance of the plan,
remember that manager administer discipline to promote
growth rather than to impose punishment.
 Planning for future involvement is eliminated

Steps:
1. Calmly state the reasons for dismissal
2. Explain the employment termination process
3. Ask for employee input
4. End the meeting on a positive note, if
possible
 those who disrupt the unit functioning because the quality or
quantity of their work consistently meets only minimal
standards.
have moments in which they perform adequately, but often
perform at a much lower level
difficult to deal with because they may have the potential to
do the job correctly, but frequently underperform.
One common strategy is simply transfer the employee to
another department or unit. Other managers choose to
dismiss marginal employees or attempt to talk them into
early retirement or resignation.
Other managers simply choose to ignore the problem and attempt to
work around the employee, this is not always possible, however,
the result is frequently resentment from co-workers who have to
carry the burden of finishing work the marginal employee was
unable to accomplish.
The most time intensive option in dealing with marginal employees is
COACHING. With this strategy, the manager attempts to improve
the marginal employees performance through active coaching
and counseling.
It is most important for the manager to remember that each person
and situation is different and the most appropriate strategy
depends on many variables. Looking at the past performance help
to determine if the employee is merely burnt out, needs
educational or training opportunities, is unmotivated or just has
very little energy and with only minimal skills on for the job.
 Substance misuse involves maladaptive patterns of psychoactive
substance abuse, with the substance user continuing use in the
face of recurrent occupational, social, psychological or physical
problems, and dangerous situations.
Effective management demands in removing these employees
from the work setting to ensure patient safety
Between 6% and 14% of nurses are chemically impaired
Chemical impairment rate of health professionals is greater than
that of the general public
Workplace theft has been identified as the most frequent source
of illegally obtained narcotics
Alcohol is the most frequently abused substance while
Meperidine (Demerol) is a drug of choice
 The profile of impaired nurses may vary greatly,
although several behavioral patterns and changes
are noted frequently.
Behavior changes are grouped into 3 areas:
personality/ behavior changes, job performance
changes, and time and attendance changes.
As the employee progresses into chemical
dependency, managers can easily recognize these
changes
Early Stage
Employee uses the addictive substance
for pleasure
Alchohol or drug use is excessive but is
primarily recreational or social
As chemical
dependency deepens
Employee develops tolerance to Employee begins to use the
the chemical chemical substance both at and
Must use greater quantities away from work
frequently to achieve the same Work performance declines
effect
The person has made a
conscious lifestyle decision to
use chemicals
There is high use of defense
mechanisms such as justifying,
denying, and bargaining about
the drug
Final stage
Continuous of the use the even though no
pleasure or gratification is gained
Employee harbors a total disregard for self
and others and becomes unpredictable and
undependable in the workplace (assignments
are incomplete, sloppy or illegible charting,
frequent judgment errors occur)
Signs of drug use during work hours may be
seen
Mood swings are excessive and looks
physically ill
Data (evidence) gathering phase
The manager collects hard evidence as possible to
document suspicions of chemical impairment in the
employees
Behavior, work performance, and time and attendance
changes are noted objectively and recorded in writing
If possible, a second person is asked to validate the
managers observations
The chemically impaired employee needs to be removed
immediately
the manager needs to arrange for the employee to be
taken home
A formal meeting to discuss the incident should occur
within the next 24 hours
Direct Confrontation
Denial and anger should be expected during this phase because
employees may not have admitted the problem to themselves
If denial occurs, documentation of evidence should be provided
The manager needs to be careful not to preach, moralize, scold, or
blame
Some admit to the problem but others use defense mechanisms
Outlining the organizations plan or expectations
Last phase of the confrontation process
A plan for the employee in order to overcome the chemical
impairment
Similar to the disciplinary contract in that it is usually written
and outlines clearly the rehabilitative measures that should
be undertaken and consequences if remedial action is not
sought
Timelines are included within the contract.
The manager and employee must agree on and sign a copy
of the contract
 Many times nurse managers find themselves nurturing the chemically
impaired employee like they would a sick patient and quickly become
manipulated by the impaired nurse
Many times the impaired nurse asks the manager to participate in their
recovery. Someone of greater expertise should assume this role.
The manager's main responsibility is to see that the employee becomes
functional again to meet organizational expectations to return to work
The manager can play a vital role in creating a work environment by
reducing work-related stressors and providing stress management to
employees
The manager should control drug accessibility by monitoring policies and
procedures related to medication distribution
The manager should provide opportunities for the staff to learn about
substance abuse, detection, and available resources to help those who
are impaired
 The leader recognizes that all employees have intrinsic worth and
assists them in reaching their maximum potential.
The leader recognizes each employee as an individual with unique
needs and intervenes according to those specific needs.
In frequent rule breaking, discipline may be the most effective
tool for ensuring that employees succeed.
For the chemically, psychologically impaired, and marginal
employees, coaching and assisting the employee to get the
treatment needed is the primary management responsibility.
In administering discipline, the leader actively shapes group norms
and promotes self-discipline; also a supporter, enabler, motivator
and coach.
The manager, however, must enforce established rules, policies,
and procedures.
The managers primary obligation is to see that patient safety is
assured and that productivity is adequate to meet unit goals.
THANK
YOU !