COURSE OVERVIEW:

Welcome to the Establish Workplace Discipline course. This program will equip you with the skills and insight required to understand what workplace discipline and grievance management truly involve, why discipline is essential for maintaining workplace standards, and how behaviour-based issues should be addressed constructively. You will explore the importance of workplace discipline, the distinction between discipline and grievance processes, and the reasons why organisations must focus on the behaviour of individuals who appear to be ‘problem people’. This opening section clarifies the key facts about such behaviours, examines whether discipline is a form of punishment, and explains the balance between improvement and punitive approaches in modern management practice.

This course begins by examining the objectives of discipline and the differences between misconduct and gross misconduct. You will analyse how work performance and work relationship issues arise, how grievances function within organisations, and why grievances exist as a mechanism for fairness, transparency and problem resolution. This section explains why leaders must adopt a positive view of discipline and grievance, how these processes uphold standards, and how they promote fairness when applied consistently. It also introduces the root causes of discipline problems and the ways workplaces can address underlying behavioural and performance concerns early.

The next learning area explores how to handle unacceptable performance, including competence and commitment issues that can undermine team effectiveness. You will examine when discipline is appropriate, how to manage unacceptable attendance or unauthorised absence, and the organisational problems created by absenteeism. This section also addresses how to resolve absence issues constructively, how to deal with unacceptable relationships or behaviours, and how to choose the most appropriate approach—whether counselling, coaching or discipline—based on the nature and complexity of the situation.

Another learning area addresses the frameworks, guidelines and procedures that underpin effective discipline and grievance systems. You will investigate the guidelines for counselling, the three-step model for determining whether to initiate a formal disciplinary process, and the importance of maintaining an accurate incidents register or log. This section also explains the guidelines for rules and procedures, the consequences of failing to maintain fair and consistent systems, and the means and methods through which procedures should be communicated throughout the organisation. You will also review how procedures align with core management functions and why monitoring and reviewing them is essential.

The next area focuses on preventing workplace discipline and grievance problems by cultivating positive organisational conditions. You will analyse why prevention is better than cure, how morale declines in the workplace, and how leaders can raise morale through supportive management practices. This section examines how to improve motivation at work, how to create conditions that minimise conflict, and how proactive leadership reduces the likelihood of discipline-related issues emerging.

Another learning area explores the interpersonal processes required to manage discipline and grievance matters effectively. You will consider how to conduct discipline interviews, how to manage grievance interviews, and how to investigate grievances further when necessary. This section also explains how to make decisions regarding grievances, the meaning and implications of unfair dismissal, how to handle dismissal interviews, and how disciplined communication builds trust during these sensitive interactions.

By the end of this course, you will be able to understand the full purpose of workplace discipline; distinguish between discipline and grievance; identify misconduct, gross misconduct, performance and relationship issues; determine when counselling, coaching or discipline is appropriate; apply consistent procedures; maintain logs and records; conduct discipline and grievance interviews professionally; investigate and resolve concerns fairly; recognise the causes of morale and motivation problems; apply preventative strategies; understand unfair dismissal; and manage people in ways that minimise discipline and grievance issues across the workplace.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

By the end of this course, you will be able to understand:

• The importance of workplace discipline
• What is meant by discipline and grievance?
• Why focus on the behaviour of apparently 'problem people'?
• The key facts of 'problem people'
• Is discipline punishment?
• The improvement/punishment balance
• When is punishment valid?
• The prime objectives of discipline
• The differences between misconduct and gross misconduct offences
• The work performance and work relationship issues
• The prime objectives of grievances
• The importance of having a positive view of discipline and grievance
• The root causes of discipline problems
• How to handle unacceptable performance?
• How to solve competence and commitment issues?
• When to discipline?
• How to handle unacceptable attendance/unauthorised absence?
• The problems caused by absence
• How to deal with absence problems?
• How to handle unacceptable relationships/behaviour?
• How to choose the right approach?
• When should you counsel, coach or discipline?
• The guidelines for counselling
• The three-step model to determine whether the formal disciplinary procedure is the right way to proceed
• The importance of keeping an incidents register/log
• The guidelines for rules and procedures
• What happens if we do not have fair and consistent procedures?
• The means and methods of communicating the procedures
• How do procedures fit with the management functions?
• Why is it essential to monitor and review all procedures?
• Why prevention is better than cure?
• Why poor morale exists at work?
• How to raise morale at work?
• How to improve motivation at work?
• How to handle the discipline interview?
• How to handle the grievance interview?
• How to investigate the grievance further, if necessary?
• How to make a decision about the grievance?
• What is an unfair dismissal?
• How to handle the dismissal interview?
• The five per cent view of discipline and grievance
• How to prevent discipline and grievance problems?
• How to manage people the right way?

COURSE DURATION:

The typical duration of this course is approximately 2-3 hours to complete. Your enrolment is Valid for 12 Months. Start anytime and study at your own pace.

ASSESSMENT:

A simple 10-question true or false quiz with Unlimited Submission Attempts.

CERTIFICATION:

Upon course completion, you will receive a customised digital “Certificate of Completion”.