When counseling fails to correct conduct or performance issues, or where verbal counseling is an inadequate disciplinary response to address the conduct or performance that fails to meet expectations, a more formal response may be required. Within the progressive disciplinary model, this formal response is a reprimand and represents a corrective action.
A reprimand is a written document issued by an employee's supervisor that identifies a specific conduct fault by an employee. At a minimum, a reprimand shall include:
The employee against whom a reprimand is issued shall be asked to acknowledge its receipt in writing. If the employee refuses to acknowledge receipt in writing, a witness to the refusal shall provide a brief written statement that the employee refused to acknowledge receipt in writing, which shall be signed and dated by the witness.
When an employee chooses to submit a written response to the reprimand, he or she must do so within ten (10) workdays of receipt of the reprimand. Such a response shall be in writing and submitted to the person issuing the reprimand. An employee's written response may clarify, expand on, or take exception to the statements or conclusions made in the reprimand. Once submitted, the response shall be maintained and treated as an attachment to the reprimand.
The official who issued the reprimand shall consider any written response submitted by the employee. The official may sustain, modify or rescind the reprimand, based on an employee's response. If the reprimand is modified, the modified reprimand shall be served and the employee given an opportunity to submit a supplemental response consistent with §§ 1612.2 through 1612.4.
Unless modified or rescinded pursuant to § 1612.5, a reprimand shall be final upon receipt of an employee written response, or the expiration of the ten days specified in § 1612.4, whichever is later.
A reprimand may be considered in establishing a corrective or adverse action, when the action is initiated within three (3) years of the reprimand.
Repealed.
D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 6, r. 6-B1612