• A policy of progressive discipline where the employee is informed of the offense, the expected behavior going forward, and the next consequence that will be imposed if the behavior does not improve.

Most employers follow a policy of progressive discipline, where repeated violations lead to increasingly severe corrective action, culminating in termination.

Penalties for misconduct can range from warnings (oral or written), to short suspensions (generally three days or less), long suspensions (usually more than three calendar days), demotions, or termination. The exact progression is up to each individual employer to define.

When an employee receives any one of the disciplinary steps, that employee should be informed of the offense, the expected behavior going forward, and the next consequence that will be imposed if the behavior does not improve.