Management could be crucial in maintaining consistency among employment decisions. Keeping uniformity could protect employers from retaliation or discrimination complaints. Any inconsistencies could make employees question the basis of their decisions, possibly causing investigations or lawsuits.
Fortunately, there are ways to implement systematic standards within management to ensure a consistent basis when making essential employment decisions. They could document these procedures within the company’s policy or follow these guide questions provided by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission:
- Is the employee receiving stricter treatment now than before because they filed a complaint?
- Is the employee receiving worse treatment than employees who broke the same or similar regulations?
- Is the employee treated differently than those with similar abilities, skills and credentials?
If the answer to these questions is yes, there might be consistency problems. The employee might feel negatively affected by the employer’s unusual treatment, interpreting it as retaliation or discrimination. Sometimes, these decisions have fair bases despite their irregularity, which could happen with disciplinary actions or corrective measures for poor employee performance.
In these situations, employers could explain clearly to justify their decisions. They could also use existing policies as references, justifying deviating from usual methods.
Minor misunderstandings can become significant issues
When the employer makes unusual actions or decisions, employees might misunderstand and feel like they are experiencing unfair treatment or retaliation. Because of these tendencies, employers should always explain themselves thoroughly and clarify misapprehensions.
They could also provide exact details about the unusual treatment or decision, including related concerns and objectives. These measures could seem tedious, but they might be necessary to avoid mix-ups leading to complaints or lawsuits.