How does the supervisor know what to do next, and when to do it?

If you have determined that the employee is not meeting expectations during the special evaluation process, and will not be able to meet them with additional coaching and time, contact Employee & Labor Relations to discuss a course of action. In performance cases, there are two options – demotion or dismissal. If an employee has the skills and abilities to do a less complex job, and there are available vacancies, demotion is the preferred option, especially if the employee has previously held a lower classification, unless the current level of performance indicates an inability to perform even the simplest portions of the current position. If the employee’s deficiencies demonstrate that demotion is not a viable alternative, the choice would be dismissal.

Both dismissal and demotion are disciplinary actions, and the first line manager initiates the “Intent Letter”. If demotion is a viable option, the employee may choose to voluntarily demote using the Transfer or Voluntary Demotion Form. Speak with your Employee & Labor Relations representative regarding the possibility of requiring a new probationary period as a requirement for the voluntary demotion. Please refer to Section 5: The Skelly Process for further information about management roles in disciplinary actions. Please see Sample Skelly Intent Letter – Poor Performance and Sample Skelly Decision Letter – Poor Performance for example letters.