As a manager or as an HR professional advising management, you will need to interpret company policies and apply guidelines to various employment situations. For this week's discussion, use your own company's employee handbook/policies (or one from a past employer, one you find on the Internet, one from a friend, etc.) to decide how to address (3) of the Scenarios from the list.

1. What course of action will you take or recommend in terms of progressive discipline - verbal warning, written warning, suspension, final warning, suspension, or termination?
2. How does this match with your company's policies? What, if any, conflicts are there between what you "want" to do versus what the policy "requires" you to do?
3. Describe the potential legal issues in the scenario -- laws that apply or legal exposure for the way you handle it.

Scenario 1: You are a supervisor in a warehousing operation. You recently instituted a "No Smoking' policy in the facility. All employees were notified of the policy in the facility. It was not well received. As you walk down aisle B in the warehouse, you see a cloud of smoke and then see Chris running to aisle A. You need to talk to Chris.

Scenario 3: You are the sales department manager at an upscale store. Your boss has talked to you about the appearance of some of your salesclerks - particularly Alex. Alex is sporting on his forearm a new, large tattoo of a devil eating a rat. You agree with your boss that some customers might find it offensive and that it should somehow be covered up. You need to talk to Alex.

Scenario 4: Sidney has recently been missing work. She tends to call in at the last minute, and there seems to be a pattern developing of Mondays and Fridays. Sidney has been in rehabilitation in the past for alcohol abuse. You need to talk to Sidney.