Employees Refusing to Acknowledge Behavior Circular: What Steps Can We Take?

Recently, our company (hospital) circulated a circular addressed to all employees regarding the general behavior expected. All employees were expected to read and sign the circular as 'read'. However, some employees refused to accept it. What actions can be taken?

Dear Dr. Bijoy,

Was the circular issued to individual employees separately? If so, they can be charged for refusal of official communication as per standing orders. Prior to that, you need to call them and explain the significance of this communication and the consequences of non-acceptance.

Employees are violating general discipline by refusing to read the sign-in acknowledgement. The concerned employees should be called over to the HR office and given a copy of the circular directly in hand, and then asked to acknowledge. If they fail to accept, then the company can consider disciplinary action against them.

Effective Communication with Hospital Staff

What I understand is that some of your employees refused to acknowledge the circular as 'read'. As it is a hospital, hopefully, the employees are generally disciplined, and due to the nature of the job, they are a bit sensitive and mature. In today’s world, it is difficult to impose discipline forcefully, especially in any sensitive workplace. Your basic objective is to communicate effectively with all staff (I hope there will be some doctors/nurses as well).

My suggestion is to verbally communicate with all of them about the importance of the circular, followed by providing a copy of the circular along with their payslip for their records.

Regards,
S. K. Bandyopadhyay

Thanks. That's what we are doing at present. But some of these staff are just refusing as if in a challenging manner. That's disconcerting.

Why are some staff refusing? Examine the reasons carefully. Is it because of genuine indiscipline, a union-motivated move, or do they genuinely have some problems that are not being attended to or properly heard by management? Before treating it purely as a discipline case, talk to some of them and find out the root cause of the refusal. The relationship with staff will improve once genuine steps are taken to understand the reasons for the refusal.

As Nathrao mentioned, has anyone from management made a preliminary or basic attempt to find the reasons for their refusal to sign? Another important aspect to consider, in relation to the options available to you, is how many employees out of the total workforce are refusing to sign.

Without a full explanation or clear depiction of the situation, you may receive misleading or non-actionable suggestions from individuals, including well-meaning CiteHR members. By "non-actionable," it is meant that suggestions, if implemented, could potentially lead to further complications, perhaps more severe. Consequently, there is no point in blaming those who provided well-intentioned advice.

Regards,
TS

C5 Planning Strategy for Commissioning

Convey, convince, confuse, compromise, and finally coerce - "C5" - Planning Strategy for "Commissioning."

Issue a show-cause notice for initiating disciplinary action against those who refused to acknowledge the general circular as per your standing orders/code of conduct. It's prima facie misconduct, which is liable for action under the heading "refusing to receive any official order or official communication issued in person or in rem." Allowing such indifferent attitudes among personnel will spoil the office culture and atmosphere, besides discipline.

If any union/unions are behind this scene, you can also complain that "such action amounts to unfair labor practice on the part of Unions" as defined under the code/law.

"Maintaining cordial relations is a two-way traffic and shall live symbiotically."

Regards,
Yagniah. K
Asst. Gen. Manager - HR
[Phone Number Removed For Privacy Reasons]

I endorse the views and suggestions of Mr. Nath Rao. I presume that you must have faced some real problems on the behavioral front of your employees that prompted you to issue this circular, more so because in a hospitality industry like yours, it could be a major cause of concern.

However, it is not essential for you to get each and every employee to sign and acknowledge the circular personally. Instead, you should post the circular on the notice boards that you might have at conspicuous places in various sections of your hospital. Keep it posted continuously for at least 7 days. That would be sufficient for the circular to be legally deemed as circulated for due compliance by every employee. In case any employee acts against the spirit of the circular, you may take appropriate action against him as per the rules of your establishment without bothering about whether he had personally acknowledged the circular or not.

Regarding Indiscipline

I suggest that you should find out whether the employees who refused to acknowledge the circular are the same set of employees who have been the problem creators. You may initiate disciplinary action against them, individually or jointly, as per the provisions under your certified standing orders or the standing instructions for willfully and deliberately refusing the valid orders of the management.

Regards, Vijayanta Kumar Sinha

If it is a general circular applicable to all employees, then it would suffice if you paste it on the notice boards placed in prominent locations so that everyone can see and read them. If the subject matter affects the service conditions, it is better to issue it individually. If anyone refuses to receive it under acknowledgment, it would be sufficient if you try to issue it to the concerned person in the presence of a witness and endorse the fact on the material, then paste it on the notice board. Moreover, the refusal to receive and sign as acknowledgment itself would be construed as 'indiscipline'. If your Standing Order does not contain such a clause, it's better to amend it to include this effect.

Industrial Relations is also about Information Management. Not accepting lawful orders is always misconduct, and those not signing any such documents can be asked to explain. Please evaluate why this is happening. Your circular is legally correct, and prevailing working conditions are the same and unchanged, etc. It's up to you to revisit behaviors and their reactions daily. It cannot be sourced from books or journals off a desk like a quick-fix solution that resolves issues.

Dear Dr. Bijoy,

First, examine or analyze why they are refusing to acknowledge it, the percentage of refusal, and whether it is really a circular on general behavior that requires acknowledgment.

Accordingly, you have to react. If you feel that the management is right, it is better to convince the employees to acknowledge the circular, or you can convince the management that the circular has served its purpose (as I understand, the circular has been read by everybody, and pestering further is unwarranted).

Or as a last resort:

1. Refusing to acknowledge an office order or communication can be treated as misconduct as per S.O.s/Code of Conduct, and disciplinary proceedings can be initiated. Or/and
2. If any union is behind the episode, you can call and negotiate with them for a smooth work culture and atmosphere.

In case of failure, you can take shelter under the ID Act for complaining about the union’s unfair labor practices.

As HR personnel, we are supposed to respect the sentiments of employees also. Of course, maintaining cordial relations is two-way traffic.

Finally, in any organization, discipline matters more than sentiments.

Regards,
Yagniah K
AGM – HR
[Phone Number Removed For Privacy Reasons]

Thank you all. I think I am getting the hang of it. We have put in the process to assess the situation and persuade the problem employees to understand the situation.