Alternative Discipline (PDF)

This report contains information on how different agencies are using— or not using—alternative discipline and includes a helpful section on important case law for parties to consider when drafting an alternative discipline agreement. MSPB found few agencies have a formal policy on alternative discipline, and many agencies do not provide formal training or guidance, which leaves supervisors and organizations to learn about alternative discipline on their own. "Alternative discipline is a great tool for supervisors to consider if they have an employee who is engaging in misconduct," says MSPB Chairman Neil A.G. McPhie. "It empowers proposing and deciding officials to work with the misbehaving employee in order to craft a solution that has the greatest potential to change that employee's conduct. Traditional discipline should remain an option for management. Federal employees and their supervisors, management, and agency personnel, including policy analysts, ethics officers, and Federal agency policy decision-makers may be interested in this report. Additionally, students pursuing research for human resources, public administration, and industrial-organizational psychology fields may also be benefit from this report relating to civil service matters. Members of Congress and the Office of Management and Budget teams reviewing and developing practices may find this report useful related to policy analysis and legislation proposals.