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Managing staff (performance and disciplinary/grievance)

Performance management(FAQs)

Q1 What do I do if one of my employees is not performing in their role?

  •  It is important to deal with performance issues as soon as they arise. There is an expectation that managers should put measures in place to support an employee’s performance in the first instance.  An informal discussion with HR at an early stage is recommended to help support all parties and to ensure the correct procedures/policies are being followed.  Please contact the NDM Employee Relations Partner to discuss next steps.  

Q2 How do I performance manage during probation?

  • Managers should use the probation review paperwork to set clear and measurable objectives. If a problem relating to a probationer's work or conduct is identified at any stage of the probationary period, measures should be put in place to support them to work at a satisfactory level. The probationer should normally first be given private and informal counselling, with a view to establishing the cause of the problem and advising appropriate remedial action. Contact the NDM Employee Relations Partner to discuss options at the earliest possible stage.  

    It may be possible to extend a probation period to allow sufficient time for an employee to meet their objectives. Probation periods cannot be extended if the end of probation date has passed.   

    Please do discuss any concerns you may have with regard to performance with the NDM Employee Relations Partner.  

Disciplinary & Grievance procedures:

If you wish to review the policies and procedures including the guidance on disciplinary and grievance that relate to your staff then please refer to the appropriate staff handbook listed here: 

Academic related staff handbook (grades 6 and above)

Support staff handbook (up to and including grade 5)

If you have a case then discuss with the the Business Manager/Employee Relations Partner at the earliest opportunity.

Support for you as a manager 

The NDM HR team and the Business Managers are available to support you, do not hesitate to contact them.  

Leadership and management resources are available to support you in your role as a manager.  

New Manager’s Toolkit – The University has developed a suite of documentation with some specific  guidance on performance management which you may find helpful. 

Please also visit the Training and development for Managers in NDM section of this toolkit