Experienced managers know that when disciplinary measures are laid on with a heavy hand, they become counterproductive.  The manager who makes the most noise about lateness, for example, is not necessarily the one whose group has the best on-time performance record.  When a note from a doctor is insisted on for every sick day, absenteeism doesn't necessarily decline.  Safety measures are not always practiced best by employees whose managers threaten penalties for noncompliance.  Telephone courtesy is not always best under the direction of a manager who habitually checks up by listening in on calls. One unintended effect of such behavior is that extreme disciplinary measures can cause employees to feel less accountable for others in the group who may be breaking rules.  Too much pressure from a manager may cause them to be less inclined to exert peer pressure on their own.  It might be a good idea to look into the observance of rules in our own practice.  Perhaps your supervision could benefit from the following suggestions: Make your policy clear.  Unless managers are certain that the staff cares about clarity, they themselves have a less-than-compelling reason to care about whether disciplinary matters are understood.  Most offices that enjoy the lowest rates of rule breaking also have clearly defined office policies.  This is why standards of punctuality, attendance, and other work prerequisites should be spelled out, rather than assumed to be understood. Rules should be explained.  For reminders about rules to be most effective, they should come from the manager and include the reasons behind them, for example, overtime necessitated by undue absenteeism or the burden that latecomers put on fellow employees. Strive for employee cooperation.  The manager who trusts and…