Handling Employee Misconduct: Should Each Issue Get Its Own Show Cause Notice?

Dear Professionals, can I mention several misconducts of an employee in a single show cause notice, or should separate show causes be served for each misconduct? Please suggest.

It depends on the nature of the misconduct and the date of commission of each misconduct, as well as the dates on which they come to the notice of the disciplinary authority.

For example, unauthorized absence on three different dates in the same month by the employee, quarreling with the supervisor on the shop floor on another day in the same month, and being found loitering in the corridor within the factory premises during working hours, keeping his machine idle without any reason on yet another day. If all these incidents come to the notice of the disciplinary authority on different dates with a reasonable gap or on a single day, a single show cause notice can be issued incorporating all three misconducts. It is purely a matter of administrative convenience only.

There is no need to combine lapses in one SCN. It is better to issue SCN separately for each lapse. There is no law that states they should be combined.

Combining Misconducts in a Show Cause Notice

All related misconducts could be combined in one SCN.

For example: Habitual late coming, unauthorized absence from duty, irregular attendance, absence from the workplace after PUNCH IN, sleeping while on duty, etc.

Types of Misconducts

Misbehavior with peers/superiors, manhandling/physically assaulting a supervisor, quarreling with other staff, consuming alcohol while on duty, forgery, etc.

Please note that some misconducts are light in nature while others are grave. There are some misconducts for which an SCN could be issued, and after the receipt of a written explanation, the matter could be closed after issuing a warning letter; while some others need further disciplinary procedures, like issuing a Charge sheet or Charge sheet-cum-Suspension Order, after the receipt of a written reply from the delinquent employee, ordering a domestic inquiry, awarding suitable punishment, etc.

I see no logic in combining various misconducts, not committed on the same day, to be the basis of one SCN. All SCNs are to be filed in the personnel file. For a true picture of conduct, each misconduct, if it warrants the issuance of an SCN, should lead to the serving of an SCN. I request members to quote if there is any authority to combine the lapses committed on various days to be combined in a single SCN.