Insubordinate Employees May Deserve a Second Chance

Scott Fanning was quoted in SHRM on December 9, 2015. The article “Insubordinate Employees May Deserve a Second Chance” discussed why an employee should likely be given a second chance for more innocuous events, instead of terminated.

“Not all insubordination is created equal,” said Scott. “There very well may be circumstances supporting the immediate termination of one employee and not the other. For example, an employee cursing out his supervisor in the presence of co-workers may not be comparable to an employee refusing to sign a disciplinary action when required to do so by company policy.”

The difference between the two types of insubordination—one calling for immediate discharge and the other not—may boil down to whether a second chance is at all possible. If bridges haven’t been completely burned, “providing an employee with an opportunity to correct his or her behavior can have many positive effects,” Scott noted. “For example, employee turnover can be costly and you never know if the next employee will exhibit more serious issues.”

“Also, second chances can increase employee morale and offer a sense of job security,” Scott continued. “That being said, some types of severe insubordinate conduct should not be tolerated and keeping the employee may actually harm employee morale and send the wrong message.”

To read the full article, please visit SHRM.