Disciplining employees may be one of the most unpleasant parts of your job, but it's also one of the most important.

Most managers and supervisors really don't like to discipline employees. It can be unpleasant to give criticism, even when it's desperately needed. But an effective disciplinary policy is an invaluable workplace tool.

Advantages of a Good Disciplinary Policy

A clear and effective disciplinary policy offers many benefits, including:

• Clear guidelines for employee behavior. A straightforward, easy-to-understand disciplinary policy will tell your employees what you expect of them and what conduct you will not tolerate. Enforcing the policy in a uniform manner will show your employees that you take these rules seriously.

• Good morale for other employees. It's true that the employee you discipline is not likely to enjoy a morale boost, but the rest of your workforce will. Other employees do not like to see a coworker getting away with poor, unproductive behavior while they work thanklessly at their jobs. And, if a problem employee is allowed to misbehave without suffering any consequences, others in the workforce will soon realize that they can get away with slacking off, too.

• Protection against employee lawsuits. If you clearly inform your employees of the consequences of poor behavior and enforce your policy fairly, you will buy yourself some insurance in future disputes. It will be more difficult for an employee to argue that his or her termination was unjustified if you can show that you told your employees what conduct would result in discipline, and that this particular employee had been subject to prior disciplinary action.