Desk Lite

Working in HR meant I got a front-row seat to the inner workings of corporate punishment. It also meant I occasionally had to be the one handing it out. That part of the job sucks! The holy trinity of punishment in most workplaces goes like this: warnings, suspensions, and if you’re really naughty, termination.

Fired.

Badge and access revoked.

The interesting thing is not what punishment was given, but how differently people responded to it. There’s this idealised version of how disciplinary action should work. A warning is issued, a lesson is learned, and the employee never dares to repeat the behaviour again. Sometimes, that happens. Fear of the corporate gods kicks in and order is restored.

But not always.

Let’s start with employee warnings. They are either verbal or written, depending on the severity. Technically, you’re meant to get a couple of those before anything more serious happens. Three strikes and you’re out kind of thing, or so the policy says. But the reality is often a lot murkier. After a while, some people treat warnings like junk mail. Handed out, filed away, and forgotten. These people are not quite doing anything catastrophic, but rather constantly annoying enough to stay on the radar. And then there’s the time factor that is important to note, some HR disciplinary actions have a shelf life. No one gets fired over a comment they made three years ago unless, say, forensic accountants just found evidence of three-year-old embezzlement. Then yes, maybe.

Suspensions are next. They usually happen when something serious has gone down. Not “you’re fired” serious, but serious enough that the company needs a breather. Maybe the employee said something that rattled a few too many feathers. Or maybe they were a bit too close to violating workplace safety. So, they’re told to sit out for a while to reflect, to recalibrate. Except some employees don’t see it that way. If the suspension from work is paid, it turns into bonus annual leave. Off to the beach. Long lunches. Maybe even a movie marathon. They come back fresh-faced and unbothered. It’s like the incident never happened. All water off a duck’s back.

And then there’s termination. Getting fired usually comes with the expectation that the individual did something very, very bad. This could be something that endangered people, the business, or both. Picture someone caught with fire starters and the matches still warm in their hand next to the burning building. But more often, it’s a slow build. A string of warnings, a suspension or two, a tipping point. Then they’re gone.

And here’s the kicker: sometimes, being fired isn’t the punishment it’s assumed to be. For the business, it’s problem solved. Only to now replace that person swiftly. But for the person leaving? It might be the wake-up call they needed. A strange kind of gift. The start of a new career. A forced leap into something better. And so, the so-called punishment becomes freedom.

There are also some fringe attempts at discipline that don’t always land. Removing someone from a supposedly “fun” project, only to find they never liked it to begin with. Demotions that leave the team in chaos because someone still needs to do the senior work. Location transfers that accidentally reduce commute time. Or even tax complications when someone moves overseas, only to find the cost was worth it for their new life.

Workplace misconduct has its consequences. And corporate punishment? Sometimes it hits. Sometimes it misses. And sometimes, it rewards the very people it’s supposed to reprimand. I think a way to redirect behaviour is needed. But I think we need a new way of doing things. Let me know what way you think behaviour correction should be headed by saying in the comments