George and the Transportation Department

George and the Transportation Department at Stevenson Company The issues present upon George's arrival within the Transportation Department at the Stevenson Company underscore a pre-existing problem within the company that should have been dealt with prior to the previous supervisor's departure. Due to the severe disorganization within the Transportation Department, several HR and company policies were overlooked and the inadequate implementation of disciplinary action now threaten the department, and possibly the company as a whole, due to a possible EEO issue being brought forth by a disgruntled employee.

Properly place and enforced HR policies and procedures would have helped the transportation department avoid any issues from the beginning. Though it is now George's responsibility to ensure that employees within the department comply with company policy and procedure, a larger underlying problem is evident. Though it is the transportation department supervisor's responsibility to monitor the work and activities of his employees, it is Stevenson Company's responsibility to monitor the transportation department.

Policies and procedures that could have prevented the escalating and surmounting problems within the transportation department include acknowledgement and employee training and orientation of the company's employee handbook, including employee rights, time-off, as well as an absenteeism and tardiness policy, and disciplinary actions that could be enforced by the company. Also, a clearly defined equal employment opportunity policy and "at-will" policy, if the company is an at-will company, should have been presented to the employees as a condition of their employment.

Within the transportation department, policies defining job duties, job descriptions and classifications, as well as disciplinary policies should have been enforced. In order for George to gain control of his department, a major overhaul of the department's policies and procedures, as well as record keeping, must be undertaken. Once the department has been organized, and record keeping becomes accurate, George can begin to enforce department policies without discriminating employees. Frequent and clear communication between his superiors and subordinates will also aide George in maintaining control of his department.

If he establishes departmental policies that mirror company policies, then he will not be at fault if his employees do no comply. In order to help put these policies into practice, George could meet with his department and require them to undergo orientation, training, and development to ensure that his department is aware of the company's policies and procedures, as well as the consequences if policies and procedures are not followed.

In order to properly discipline an employee, supporting evidence must be presented and disciplinary action can be taken according to company policy. Many companies utilize a tiered discipline policy where action can escalate from verbal warning, to employee coaching, and ultimately termination. Proper discipline is only possible if the department is organized and complies with company policy. By placing the assistant supervisor on probation, the company demonstrated to departmental employees that their managing supervisors are not.