5.8 | Progressive Discipline

Every employee has a duty and the responsibility to be aware of and abide by local and national laws and SU policies. Employees also have the responsibility to perform his/her duties to the best of his/her ability and to the standards as set forth in his/her job description or otherwise established duties. SU supports the use of progressive discipline to address issues such as poor work performance or misconduct. Our progressive discipline practice is designed to provide a corrective action process to improve and prevent a recurrence of undesirable behavior and/or performance issues. Our progressive discipline practices are designed to be consistent with our organizational values, HR best practices and all applicable employment laws.

Outlined below are the steps of our progressive discipline practice and procedure. SU reserves the right to combine or bypass steps in this process depending on the facts of each situation and the nature of the offense. The level of disciplinary intervention may also vary. Some of the factors that will be considered are whether the offense is repeated despite coaching, counseling and/or training; the employee’s overall work record; and the impact the conduct and performance issues have on the larger organization. The following outlines SU’s progressive discipline process:

1. Verbal Warning
   A supervisor verbally counsels an employee about an issue of concern and a written record of the discussion in placed in the employee’s file for future reference.
2. Written Warning
   Written warnings are used for behavior or violations that a supervisor considers serious or in situations when a verbal warning has not helped change unacceptable behavior. Written warnings are placed in an employee’s personnel file. Employees should recognize the serious nature of the written warning.
3. Corrective Action
   Further written warning that is used for behavior or violations that a supervisor considers serious or in situations when verbal and written warnings have not changed unacceptable behavior. Corrective actions are placed in an employee’s personnel file. Employees should recognize the serious nature of the corrective action.
4. Disciplinary Action
   Any action taken that impacts an employee’s pay or status up to and including termination of employment.

SU reserves the right to determine the appropriate level of discipline for any inappropriate conduct, including verbal and written warnings, suspension with or without pay, demotion and discharge.