PROGRESSIVE DISCIPLINE: ACTION PLAN
Abstract
Progressive discipline is the idea that misconduct issues need to be handled at the lowest level
possible at first. If violations continue or serious violations occur, then a need exists to elevate
the discipline and allow the administration to handle it. Effective progressive discipline keeps all
levels of management empowered and engaged with the mission of the agency. Sergeants and
corporals will have to balance how to lead shift discipline while working alongside young
officers. These officers make up the lowest level of the agency and cannot issue discipline, as
they are only subject to it. Effective progressive discipline will bring good officers more in line
with the agency’s mission, while hopefully course correcting those that are not totally congruent
with agency policy.
Keywords: progressive discipline, administration, policy
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PROGRESSIVE DISCIPLINE: ACTION PLAN
Progressive Discipline: Action Plan
The Commerce Police Department has operated without a procedure for proper
progressive discipline. This had led to the continuous out-of-policy actions by one sergeant going
unpunished. With a change in administration, her actions have finally been handled as policy
violations should. The actions against the sergeant only take into consideration her recent policy
violation; the years of previous bad decisions had no bearing, as the new chief wanted to give
everyone a blank slate once he took over. Even though the actions have been punished, it has left
some officers feeling though as something more could have been done. Fleshing out a proper
plan to handle progressive discipline would ensure moving forward, this type of behavior is not
tolerated and handled appropriately.
Action plan
For any agency CEO to push the agency in the direction of their agenda, they need
compliance from the top down. Decisions that are based in fairness through procedural policies
are an important part of obtaining buy-in. Procedural justice is expected by citizens, but it has
also been shown that procedural justice is expected by officers within an agency (Hass et al.,
2015). A progressive discipline policy that the agency administration sticks to and administers
consistently would serve as the procedural justice that is expected by officers within the agency.
A robust progressive discipline would have effects on personnel throughout the agency.
Administration would be expected to make tough disciplinary calls if the policy dictated it.
Middle managers would be expected to reprimand subordinate officers through written or verbal
warnings that can eventually escalate if the offending officer doesn’t correct their behavior.
Lower-ranked officers would have been held to a higher standard of behavior and work if the
policy were to change. These changes to personnel expectations should be examined before
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PROGRESSIVE DISCIPLINE: ACTION PLAN
policy implementation, allowing the agency to set clear expectations and use foresight to prepare
for potential problems.
Administration
Authoritarian, transformational, and servant leadership styles are considered the primary
methods by which an organization can be led. Traits can be mixed and matched, but discipline
must be handled in each style. If handled incorrectly, the organization can be negatively
impacted (Zhao et al., 2022). Hass et al. (2015) and Xin et al. (2022) have stated that if employee
discipline is mishandled, it can lead to distrust within the agency. Mishandling could be heavy-
handedness or a lax attitude toward correcting bad behavior. Police administrations must find the
area where punishment is viewed as fair, impartial, and expected.
Anecdotally, it is my experience that it is hard to change the trajectory of something that
you helped spiral out of control. With the situation at hand for the Commerce Police Department,
the administration seems to be in the best scenario to make real change to the culture towards
discipline. The CEO of the organization would need to meet with administration and middle
managers and lay out the expectations for the agency, including how discipline will be handled
going forward. At first, the administration would need to prepare for pushback from officers who
know that their actions under previous administrations have not been called out.
Administration should be prepared for a backlash from officers, as they may feel that the
administration no longer has their backs and is just looking for ways to punish them. This
backlash could lead to a phenomenon known as “Blue Flu” that has been reported on for over
five decades. (Ichiowski, 1981). If a blue flu were to occur, the administration would need to be
prepared for a lack of productivity and an unwillingness to go the extra mile at work. Just as a
parent does not need to give a tantrum-throwing child their way, they would need to stand firm
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PROGRESSIVE DISCIPLINE: ACTION PLAN
and maintain the policy of progressive discipline. Once officers realize that there is a procedural
method in which discipline is given, then they are likely to come back in the fold and become
productive members of the organization.
Middle-Management
Middle management is critically important to any agency, as they supervise the most
people. (Wexler, 2018). They are the ones who will take the wishes of the chief and put them in
action as they go out every day and interact with the public. Middle managers, in the case of a
police department, are sergeants and corporals, who are important change agents. They are where
initiatives from the CEO can take off or fall apart. Middle managers are the next wave of
administrators and need to be given the ability to flex their interpersonal creativity in getting new
changes to take root (Rohifer et al., 2022).
With the research in mind, middle management needs to be empowered to act against
policy violations. If a subordinate violates a policy on shift that is minor and is a first offense,
they should be able to issue a verbal reprimand or a written reprimand. This should be
documented and sent up the chain of command for final approval before being placed in the
employee file. An effective discipline policy should outline the types of violations that can be
handled at this level. Issues such as tardiness or uniform violations may warrant verbal
counseling. Issues related to discourtesy to the public or smaller officer safety problems should
be handled with written warnings. More serious issues will need to be documented by front-line
supervisors, but will need to be handled disciplinarily through the administration.
A hurdle that would need to be cleared by sergeants and corporals is one of interpersonal
relationships. These front-line supervisors often feel like they are one with their shift mates in an
us against them (administration) mentality. If this attitude is not addressed, then effective
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PROGRESSIVE DISCIPLINE: ACTION PLAN
progressive discipline at the line level will not be possible. Sergeants and corporals will need to
portray discipline to keep upper management out of shift-level issues. If their subordinate
officers understand this concept and respect their supervisor, they may clean their act up
preemptively as not to put their shift mate/supervisor in a position that gets upper administration
involved.
Officers
Police agency personnel at this level are the agency's least experienced personnel. They
are not privy to the inner workings of a department. Fresh out of the academy, officers are also
not overly concerned with the intricacies of progressive discipline. The onset of disciplinary
issues varies from officer to officer. Officers who had poor academy performances were found to
have early misconduct issues in their careers. If an officer has a college degree, they are less
likely to have misconduct issues. Those officers who are in certain patrol zones also have higher
rates of misconduct (Harris, 2014). These are all good factors to know because they allow the
administration to understand the probability of certain officers having disciplinary issues.
Administrations should not preemptively punish these officers who fall under these categories.
They should instead be wary and develop a good policy that allows these officers’ supervisors to
handle minor issues.
Officers at this level have no power to discipline. They are only capable of being the
subject of discipline. This is why it is important to get agency buy-in for the mission of the chief
from all employees. If the agency is aimless and there is no feeling of working for a common
goal, then officers are not going to buy in. If officers feel they are a part of a team that is working
together toward something, they are more likely to fall in line with agency policy. An issue that
can creep in is that a us vs. them mentality can form, pitting the administration against the rest of
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PROGRESSIVE DISCIPLINE: ACTION PLAN
the department. Officers who feel this way are more likely to violate policy and should be
handled with progressive discipline to bring them back to center.
If officers at this level feel as though some within the agency are getting away with
policy violations, they will become discouraged. A discouraged workforce is an unproductive
one. If they become disengaged, they are less likely to participate in proactive policing and
effective community relations. This, in and of itself, is not a policy violation, but it will hurt the
agency. Administration developing a fair policy that they stick with will keep good officers
engaged with the agency. Agency policy should be all-encompassing to include code of conduct
instructions that disallow the spreading of rumors and discontent within an agency. The caveat to
this is that a bad agency will not be able to police out this type of behavior. A good agency can
use such a policy, consistent with progressive discipline, to keep officers with good attitudes and
work behaviors.
Conclusion
Implementing a new progressive discipline policy within the Commerce Police
Department will bring about much-needed change. In the past, disciplinary duties have solely
been a responsibility of the administration. A progressive discipline policy will ease the burden
on them while empowering the sergeants and corporals to take ownership of the misconduct on
their shifts. Minor and first-time violations should be handled at the shift level. More serious and
continuous issues should be elevated for the administration to handle. This will engage middle
managers and give them more of a stake within the agency. Officers may at first feel as though
they are being micromanaged if their immediate supervisor is the one issuing a disciplinary
action, such as a reprimand or warning. If such actions occur, an effective discipline policy will
keep these officers in line with the goal of the agency. Officers expect discipline when
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misconduct is known. By disciplining consistently and effectively, these officers will remain
engaged with the organization.
Biblical Perspective
The Bible is a book all about discipline. Eternal separation from God is the ultimate
discipline for our actions that we can only be saved from by grace through faith (Christian
Standard Bible, Ephesians 2 8-9, 2017). How one should discipline their child can also be found
in Proverbs, Hebrews, and Ephesians. Biblical disciplinary rules also cover how people should
react with one another. Disciplinary policies in the workplace should be centered around
restoring a wayward employee, not punitively punishing them for vengeance. Paul writes as
much in Galatians, “…restore such a person with a gentle spirit…” (Christian Standard Bible,
2017). Paul readdresses the topic in his second letter to Timothy by saying we must instruct with
gentleness. He goes on to say that this gentleness may release the trap of the devil. While
administration may not be trying to free the employee from the devil, the idea stands that love
and gentle coercion may bring someone back on the right track.
The most poignant example of a progressive discipline policy is what is discussed by
Jesus in Matthew 18. Jesus speaks of addressing the sinner directly first. Then take them to a
witness. If that does not work, then take them to the church in hopes of unification. If all that
fails to work, then they shall be cast out. Progressive discipline is designed to work in the same
way that Jesus describes. Unification and correction are the underlying goals that tie progressive
discipline to Biblical principles.
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References
Christian Standard Bible. (2017) Holman Bible Publishers. Nashville, Tennessee
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Ichniowski, C. (1981) Collective Bargaining and Compulstory Arbitration: Prescriptions for the
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Rohlfer, S., Hassi, A., & Jebsen, S. (2022). Management Innovation and Middle Managers: The
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