Page 66 - Today’s Business Communication; A How-to Guide for the Modern Professional

WhY MUST I REMEMBER ThAT COMMUNICATION 55

Writing a Reprimanding Message

If you think it is easy to reprimand an employee who has done something
wrong, think again. It is an uncomfortable position to be in when we have
to tell employees that they aren’t performing up to standards, or have been
consistently late and must come to work on time, or have violated com-
pany policies. Of course, it’s uncomfortable for the employee, too, but
managers have the additional burden of following company’ policies and
procedures, most of which are in place to protect the firm from lawsuits.
It’s very easy for individuals to sue employers, and while the law-
suit may not make it to court, or if it makes it to court the employee
may not win, the resources—time, legal fees, disruption of work, emo-
tional angst—are so intense that we try very hard to avoid lawsuits.
Think of Benjamin Franklin’s quote: “An ounce of prevention is worth a
pound of cure.” This 18th century businessman, diplomat, and inventor
knew of which he wrote, and it is particularly true when considering
employment law.
We do not provide a sample reprimand letter here. However, we urge
you to please follow your organization’s employment policies and proce-
dures to the letter when dealing with employee problems in the workplace.
Document employees’ infractions and behaviors in the event you have to
face a legal challenge. Follow the good advice of your human resources
(HR) director. He or she will be a much better source of information than
your gut instinct.

Requesting Information

Today’s business professional can write for information in nearly the blink
of an eye. Emails and text messages have made short work of asking col-
leagues, supervisors, direct reports, and others for details on almost any
topic. But just because you can do it quickly doesn’t mean you are relieved
of the responsibility of doing it well. Write in complete sentences, with
correct spelling, capitalization, and punctuation when sending either
electronic or print requests for information. Follow the sample email
below. Always, always write an appropriate subject line when using email.
Don’t just hit reply to a previous email and start a new message with the
former subject line.