Article 16.2 of the National Agreement provides that
supervisors should discuss "minor offenses" with employees.
Official discussions are not considered discipline, but are used as a
forewarning that discipline could
be issued in the future if changes are not made.
Official Discussions are a management tool used to make employees aware
of rules. The Official Discussion is designed to point out minor
offenses and give the employee and opportunity to correct their behavior
before
discipline is intiated.
An Official Discussion should be a private
one-on-one meeting between an employee and their supervisor.
Preferably, the supervisor will take the employee off the floor, into
the office, to ensure privacy. However, an Official Discussion may
be held on the floor provided the discussion is moved to a private area,
out of the earshot of others.
Despite the name, the Official Discussion is not
really a discussion at all. It is usually a one-sided event with
the supervisor speaking and the employee listening. Perhaps the
name "Official Lecture" would be a better choice.
Because a discussion is not considered
discipline, employees are not entitled to
union representation during an Official Discussion. Remember, the
discussion is supposed to be private. Brining in a third person
means it is no longer a private meeting. Likewise, bringing in a
second supervisor, manager, postmaster or MDO would render the
discussion improper. The meeting should be one-on-one. One
supervisor discussing issues with one employee.
That said, some supervisors
do bring shop stewards into Official
Discussion meetings. This could be a Catch-22 situation for the
steward. On the plus side, the steward will be at the discussion and can be a wtiness to what was said (or not
said) . On the negative side, the steward will be at the
discussion and can be a witness to what was
said (or not said). No steward wants to be a witness used to
testify against an employee. No steward wants to forced to answer
the question, "You were at the Official Discussion. You
heard me tell employee Jones to stop leaving their work area didn't you?"
Take notes. Thast is the #1, most
important thing you can do during an Official Discussion. Take
notes. More often than not, the supervisor will be taking notes.
You should too. If the content of that discussion ever becomes an
issue of dispute, the supervisor's notes will tend to give veracity to
their version of events. Your own notes will lend credence to
your version.
After the discussion, put your notes somewhere you
can get to them, if needed. It is also a good idea to let your
shop steward know that you were given a discussion.
Some employees pin their hopes on the fact that the supervisor did not
say, "This is an Official Discussion." The supervisor
should say those words, to avoid confusion. However, there is no
requirement that the exact phrase "Official Discussion" be uttered.
Nomenclature aside, there are several key
requirements that should happen at a "proper" Official Discussion
-
The employee should be informed that the
discussion is not a disciplinary action.
-
The supervisor should clearly state the perceived infracion,
offense, or wrongdoing.
-
The supervisor should clearly indicate what is expected of the
employee.
-
The supervisor should
clearly convey the message that failure to improve
could lead to discipline
in the future.
-
The supervisor should
eliminate any ambiguity or confusion and ensure that the employee
fully understands
If, after receiving an Official Discussion you
have any questions about the process, or what comes next, you should
contact your shop steward. They will be able to answer your
questions. After the discussion, you should just go about your
normal business. If you had done something wrong (knowingly or
unknowlingly) you should strive to ensure you don't repeat the
infraction.
It is important to note that infractions or
violations raised during an Official Discussion should not be re-used
against you in the event of future discipline. The purpose of the
discussion is to make you aware of problems and allow you to
"self-correct" and avoid discipline. It would be unfair to have a
discussion about five absences and then be discipline for those same
five absences. To do so would make the discussion pointless and
would deprive the employee of the opportunity to show improvement.
An Official Discussion is not the end of the world.
It is, however, something which should not be taken too lightly.
If there are concerns about attendance, work habits, or employee
behavior, it is to the employee's advantage to have a chance to hear
these concerns and be given the opportunity to make the necessary
changes to avoid discipline.