Supervisor Foundations · Lesson 5.9
CONSEQUENCES SHOULD NOT BE ARBITRARY
Supervisors should not invent consequences based on anger.
Poor accountability sounds like:
“I’m annoyed, so I’m sending you home.”
“If you upset me again, I will cut your pay.”
“I’ll punish you however I want.”
Appropriate consequences should follow:
- workplace policy
- supervisor authority
- seriousness of the issue
- previous steps where relevant
- organizational procedure
- applicable law
Supervisors should not threaten consequences they are not authorized to impose.
Poor
“You are suspended for a week because I’m tired of you.”
Better
“This issue has reached the point where it needs to be escalated under our workplace process. I will document what has happened and refer it to the appropriate decision-maker.”
WORKPLACE EXAMPLES
EXAMPLE 1
A shift supervisor threatens to fire someone even though only the business owner has authority to make that decision.
EXAMPLE 2
Two employees commit similar infractions but receive dramatically different consequences because one is the supervisor’s friend.
EXAMPLE 3
BETTER RESPONSE
EXAMPLE 4
A manager reduces an employee’s pay spontaneously as punishment without knowing whether they have authority to do so.
That is not appropriate supervisory practice.
Remember
Accountability should be structured—not improvised in anger.
Workplace action
Know which consequences you are actually authorized to impose.
Quick Check
Which statement is most appropriate?