How Should Management Address an Employee Leaving Without Completing Tasks?

If any employee does not complete their task and leaves the office without providing any information, the Project Manager sends an email addressing the issue.

The email reads:

"Dear ABC,

I am writing to express my extreme disappointment and concern regarding your behavior and commitment to the project. Today, when you requested to leave, I explicitly mentioned that you needed to complete the urgent issue reported by the client. However, you failed to do so and left the office without informing me or management.

This behavior is not only unprofessional but also disrespectful to the team, management, and our clients. Your actions have caused delays and may impact our project timeline. As you are aware, your responsibilities and tasks were clearly assigned to you. Your lack of commitment and irresponsible behavior are unacceptable and may lead to further action.

I expect you to provide a valid reason for your actions.

I would appreciate a prompt response regarding this matter. If I do not receive a satisfactory explanation and commitment from you, I will be forced to escalate this issue to management."

What steps can management take to handle this situation?

Dear Riya Saha,

Leaving the office without the permission of the HOD is an act of indiscipline. However, we find a procedural flaw while handling the act of discipline. Why has the HOD issued a show-cause notice to his subordinate? It is the duty of the HOD to report the facts to the HR department. Upon receipt of the letter or a complaint, in consultation with the authorities concerned, the HR department decides whether to issue the show-cause notice or a warning letter or let go of the matter. If the HODs are empowered to issue show-cause notices, then what is the need for the HR department?

Observations on the Show-Cause Notice

Even while issuing the show-cause notice, the manager's inexperience is evident. The following are the sentence-wise observations:

a) "Today, when you requested to leave, I explicitly mentioned that you needed to complete the urgent issue reported by the client.": - "You needed to complete the urgent issue reported by the client" is a vague statement. The specific work assigned to the subordinate should be mentioned clearly. Secondly, the time at which the subordinate left the office is also not mentioned.

b) "You failed to do so and left the office without informing me or management": - In day-to-day work, it is incorrect to use the concept of management. The manager is also a part of the management and cannot separate himself from the decision-makers.

c) "This behavior is not only unprofessional but also disrespectful to the team, management, and our clients. Your actions have caused delays and may impact our project timeline. As you are aware, your responsibilities and tasks were clearly assigned to you. Your lack of commitment and irresponsible behavior are unacceptable and may lead to further action": - These are verbose sentences. By curtailing wordiness, it can be shortened to just a simple sentence.

d) "I expect you to provide a valid reason for your actions.": - While issuing a show-cause notice, a deadline has to be mentioned. While handling matters of indiscipline, the manager cannot just communicate his expectations. The tone should be directive. This is not routine correspondence. Therefore, the wording could have been "You are hereby directed to submit an explanation for leaving the office without permission by ______ hours on ______ (date). If we do not receive your reply or if a credible explanation is not received, the administration of ________ (name of your company) reserves the right to initiate suitable disciplinary action against you."

Action upon Receipt of the Reply

If the explanation of the subordinate lacks credibility, then the authorities concerned (not "management," please note) can close the matter by issuing a strict warning. Otherwise, considering his absence for half-day or a full day, a penalty may be imposed proportionately. He can be told to deposit a certain amount to the accounts department within a day or two. He should be warned that the delayed payment of the penalty will be considered misconduct.

Thanks,

Dinesh Divekar