Situation - You are the HR director at the State of Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. A supervisor Josie comes to you and says that they are having various issues with the office manager. Over the past few weeks, the office manager, named Sam, has been arriving at work consistently late. Josie, Sam's direct supervisor, has spoken to Sam several times about timeliness and reports that Sam is having "personal issues." On some occasions, although Sam's jacket is thrown over the chair in the office, no one can find or reach Sam for several hours at a time. The supervisor Josie suspects that Sam is slipping out of work. Most of the required reports from Sam are submitted late, and when they are turned in, these reports often have numerous errors in these important reports.

The supervisor Josie wants to terminate Sam, the office manager, immediately, but is willing to listen to your HR advice on progressive discipline and what should be done with this employee. There is a concern that the employee might retaliate by claiming discrimination, since Sam is a member of a protected class.

1. Based on Maryland state law, write out a plan, addressed to the supervisor Josie, which includes steps of progressive discipline, timing, documentation, and potential termination, if the earlier steps do not achieve the needed results.
2. Include steps that can be taken and documentation that may be needed to protect the organization against a possible claim of discrimination.

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