By: Ernest Jalen Gutierrez
2025/05/19
Managing employee behavior isn’t just about discipline, it’s about setting clear expectations, maintaining a positive workplace culture, and ensuring legal compliance. For business owners and HR professionals in the Philippines, this can seem like a heavy task. But with the right structure and tools in place, it becomes much more manageable.
Here’s a seven-step guide to help you foster a compliant, high-performing, and motivated workforce, tailored specifically to the Philippine business environment.
The 7 Proven Steps
1. Establish Clear Policies
The foundation of managing employee behavior is setting clear and consistent policies. Without well-defined rules, employees may struggle with expectations, leading to confusion or unintentional misconduct.
Start by developing an employee handbook that outlines your company’s policies, code of conduct, and disciplinary procedures. Make sure every employee signs an acknowledgment form confirming they’ve read and understood the guidelines.
It’s equally important to regularly update your handbook to reflect changes in Philippine labor laws and workplace trends. EasyHR helps streamline this process by allowing you to manage policy documents in one centralized platform, with built-in employee acknowledgment tracking.
2. Set Expectations Early and Often
Once policies are in place, it’s time to set expectations. Clearly defined Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and behavioral standards guide your employees toward success.
Communicate these expectations from the start—during onboarding, in team meetings, and through regular check-ins. EasyHR makes this easy by tracking performance metrics, setting evaluation periods, and storing key documents under each employee profile.
Encourage open dialogue to clarify doubts and maintain accountability. When employees understand what’s expected of them, they perform with confidence.
3. Monitor Performance and Provide Feedback
Don’t wait until problems arise. Regular performance monitoring helps you identify both strengths and areas for improvement before they escalate.
Schedule periodic evaluations—monthly, quarterly, or annually—and make sure feedback is constructive and balanced. EasyHR includes built-in evaluation tools that let you record feedback, track growth, and keep documentation accessible for future reference.
Feedback shouldn’t only come when things go wrong. Recognize achievements, celebrate progress, and offer support when needed.
4. Address Behavioral Issues Professionally
When behavioral issues occur, approach them fairly and consistently. Start with a thorough investigation, gathering all perspectives before taking action.
Use a progressive discipline system: verbal warnings, written notices, suspensions, and termination when necessary. Remember, in Filipino work culture, respect and diplomacy are essential—so it’s important to maintain professionalism at all times.
With EasyHR, you can track disciplinary actions and attach supporting documents securely, helping you maintain due process and legal protection.
5. Ensure Legal Compliance
Non-compliance with labor laws can result in serious penalties. Familiarize yourself with the Philippine Labor Code and Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) regulations to avoid missteps.
All disciplinary actions and terminations should follow legal procedures. EasyHR helps ensure you’re compliant by organizing employee records, documentation, and history in a centralized platform, ready for audits or legal reviews if needed.
6. Foster a Positive Work Culture
A healthy workplace culture leads to happier, more productive employees. Offer opportunities for professional development, promote work-life balance, and recognize employees who demonstrate positive behavior.
Programs like training, wellness initiatives, and team-building activities don’t just boost morale—they improve retention. With EasyHR, you can manage employee training schedules, track learning progress, and even plan wellness activities all in one place.
7. Handle Employee Grievances Transparently
Grievances are inevitable, but how you handle them makes all the difference. Implement a clear process so employees know how to raise concerns without fear of retaliation.
Encourage openness, act promptly, and resolve issues fairly. Prolonged or mishandled grievances can harm morale and productivity.
EasyHR’s employee self-service portal allows team members to submit concerns directly and securely, helping HR teams respond quickly and with transparency.
Upgrade How You Manage Employee Behavior Today!
Managing employee behavior doesn’t have to be overwhelming. With a clear strategy and digital tools like EasyHR, you can build a structured, transparent, and compliant workplace that supports both your people and your business goals. If you want to know more, you can visit this YouTube video where we discuss these steps in greater detail! Or just visit our YouTube channel to check out our other blogs and products to improve your business.