The concept of progressive discipline includes:

The concept of progressive discipline is fundamentally about escalating responses to repeated instances of unacceptable behavior or policy violations. This approach is designed to give employees an opportunity to correct their behavior while also ensuring that there are clear consequences for failing to do so.

By gradually increasing the severity of warnings and sanctions, progressive discipline emphasizes the importance of addressing issues in a structured manner. It begins with less severe consequences, such as verbal warnings, and can progress to written warnings, suspension, and ultimately, termination if necessary. The key principle behind this method is to promote correction and improvement rather than to punish immediately, thus fostering an environment where employees can learn from their mistakes before facing the most serious consequences.

This systematic approach contrasts with the ideas presented in the other options. For instance, solely relying on positive suggestions without any form of accountability does not address the need for corrective action when behavior does not improve. Similarly, emphasizing positive incentives alone overlooks the necessity of addressing repeated misconduct effectively. Finally, sending an employee to higher levels of authority for warnings does not provide the structured escalation of consequences that progressive discipline entails.