ARTICLE · 16 FEBRUARY 2026

Beyond The Handbook: Why Discipline Needs Process, Not Just Policy

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Most employers know what to do when an employee violates policy. Few know how to do it right.

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Jaya Ramachandran

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Part 1 of the 'Lifecycle of Discipline' Series

Most employers know what to do when an employee violates policy. Few know how to do it right.

Disciplinary action encompasses the spectrum of corrective measures available to the employer to address workplace violations. It can range from verbal warning to termination, often governed by a mix of company policies, employment contract, statutory frameworks such as the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946 (now subsumed by the Industrial Relations Code, 2020) or the local Shops and Establishments Acts.

But many organisations falter, not because they act, but because they act without process.

Disciplinary action typically arises after:

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