Discipline
A lot of people think UPS issues discipline as punishment for mistakes. UPS likes to say that discipline is not designed to punish, but is a tool they use to raise awareness and change behavior. I had many arguments with UPS management over the use of discipline.
My biggest complaint is that I feel discipline is unnecessary to change the behavior of adults. We are not children. No adult is happy about getting spanked. We are all old enough to change our behavior without UPS threatening our jobs. If the bad behavior is reviewed and a promise is made to correct it, then what’s the need for discipline? Management counters that the first time a mistake is made; it usually is only talked about and documented. Then, if it’s not corrected, discipline is used. Most discipline, they say, is given on the second offense.
Progressive discipline should never be taken lightly. Whether intended to punish or not, it’s always a threat to your job. Warning letter, suspension and then termination. Three strikes and you’re out. You should always file a grievance when you receive discipline and you should never receive discipline without a union steward present. Discipline without a steward present is invalid.
So why do we have discipline? Unfortunately, because it works. It’s cheap and effective. It gets immediate attention and in the short term, it gets results.
How do you avoid discipline? It's simple.
Use the methods.
Every day at every stop.
My biggest complaint is that I feel discipline is unnecessary to change the behavior of adults. We are not children. No adult is happy about getting spanked. We are all old enough to change our behavior without UPS threatening our jobs. If the bad behavior is reviewed and a promise is made to correct it, then what’s the need for discipline? Management counters that the first time a mistake is made; it usually is only talked about and documented. Then, if it’s not corrected, discipline is used. Most discipline, they say, is given on the second offense. Progressive discipline should never be taken lightly. Whether intended to punish or not, it’s always a threat to your job. Warning letter, suspension and then termination. Three strikes and you’re out. You should always file a grievance when you receive discipline and you should never receive discipline without a union steward present. Discipline without a steward present is invalid.
So why do we have discipline? Unfortunately, because it works. It’s cheap and effective. It gets immediate attention and in the short term, it gets results.
How do you avoid discipline? It's simple.
Use the methods.
Every day at every stop.
Posted by George at 7/12/2010 10:11 PM 
Categories: UPS, Union
Tags: DenverBrown Teamster United Parcel Service UPS driver blog
Categories: UPS, Union
Tags: DenverBrown Teamster United Parcel Service UPS driver blog
In my years at UPS, discipline was always a floating value, and was used according to the discretion of the management team I worked with. In the old days, the center manager set the standards and used discipline selectively.
In more recent years, as the discretion and flexibility was taken away from the center managers, the discipline seemed to become more harsh. Gradually, from 2004 until 2008 when I left, it seemed to me that offenses we used be able to get by with until the 3rd incidence went to termination on the 1st incidence.
By the time I left in late 2008 there was no apparent 1 - 2 - 3 progression anymore. What happened to that is anyone's guess. They took a more austere, militaristic approach to discipline and fired people as an example to put fear in the other worker's minds and hearts. Even though you could win your case, you were out of pay for a month at least. That is a punishment everyone understands.
Sure it works, but as George said, we are adults and do not need to be taken to the plank in order to mind the rules, but UPS never really gave an alternative methodology a chance.
Well, kind of in the 90s when Oz Nelson was the CEO. They relaxed the rules for just a short time of 2 years but soon disposed of good ol' Oz and the lax enforcement. Still, even then, some managers were harsh on discipline while others were not.
No one will ever know how incredibly profitable and amazingly effective UPS would be with a "trust the worker" policy. We all wanted that, but it never was to be, and I suspect never will be in the future. They rule with fear and intimidation, and by making higher ups in the office responsible for the harsh enforcement, center managers and sups could simply say, "It is out of my hands".
UPS is a "Top Down Company" in every aspect. I value my driver friendships over the years, and many of my customers and friends, but I have never missed the management style even for one minute. I have always admired the company for many reasons, but their method of enforcement always left me cold. I am amazed that I made it 30 years.
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