Employee Write up form comes handy when your staff is not showing performance or behavior as per the organization’s policy. You need an employee discipline form to take actions if a worker is showing bad behavior at the job. This form is a life savior for management in dispute cases over wrongful termination or unemployment claims.
As a manager, you are fully occupied all the time. You are required to do scheduling, hiring, training or inventory management of your business.
Above all of these, you have to face responsibilities like disciplining and firing. So, in order to face situations that demand disciplinary actions on workers, simply use an employee disciplinary form.
Employee Write Up Form : PDF | Images | Doc
There could be various types of write up forms. We have compiled all such forms in one place from various sources, so you can just select the one you need.
1) Simple Employee Write-up Form
2) Employee Counseling Form
3) Employee Reprimand Form
4) Employee Warning Notice Form
5) Employee Warning Notice
What To Add In An Employee Write Up Form?
Following six sections must be included in any staff or worker discipline form:
Worker’s Name & Date
It seems obvious to put the name of the person for whom the form is getting ready. And how can we forget writing the date? Make sure to mention the name and date clearly. At the time of the dispute, you don’t want any contradiction over this section.
The Purpose
It is not good practice to issue the written warning letter at first place. As a good manager, you should give one or two verbal warnings to the worker about the issue. You must go for a worker write up form when the issue has become severe and the worker is not doing anything about it.
A written disciplinary action comes in the third step in any progressive discipline. It can be used as the first step when the issue is related to bad customer service or not obeying the manager’s orders.
Number Of Prior Warnings
Traditionally, the staff gets up to three written warnings before termination for issues like being insubordinate. In events with more severity like breaking someone’s belongings, a written warning is issued as the final one. It means the worker will face the direct termination if the situation happens again.
Mentioning The Problem/Issue
You should be transparent and accurate while mentioning the issue with worker’s performance or behavior, sometimes both. As a good practice, you should add as many details as you can. By being specific and crystal clear, the employee will understand the problem instantly.
By doing so, your documentation for the case will get stronger in case of legal action.
Example 1
You should not write vague or incomplete statements like “Worker was being insubordinate”. You must write the situation correctly, like “When the manager called the worker for duty, the worker was being insubordinate. Instead of following the orders, the staff walked away using the inappropriate language”.
Example 2
Avoid writing “Worker is not punctual”. Instead write, “Worker came to job 30 minutes late on November 6th, 2017”.
Worker’s Write Up Form Images Gallery
Here are some more forms for you. Just right click on the image and select the save option.
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What Not To Be Included In A Write-Up Form
While devising the write-up form, there is no need to add extra or unnecessary details. Otherwise, it will create complications for legal issues. You have to stop yourself from being snarky. At no point, you should use any language or words that show you want to fire the staff. Think of write up form like a police report.
One more thing, you should be fair to all staff. You are not allowed to discriminate on the basis of age, race, gender or nationality. A staff’s performance and behavior should be considered first for discipline situations.
Example 1
In the case of a subordinate worker, you must not embellish the scenario. You should write “ When the manager called the worker for duty, the worker was being insubordinate. Instead of following the orders, he walked away using the inappropriate language”. Try not to mention something like, “Worker was being insubordinate because he is a poor team member who is always in bad mood”.
Example 2
In some situations, there is no need to add extra things. “Worker came to job 30 minutes late on November 6th, 2017”, this statement specifies everything about the case. Avoid adding details like the reason for being late.
Documentation of Employee Termination Forms
It is best practice to create personal files for all of your staff. Each file should contain hiring form/letter, identification papers, write up form and anything related to employment of the staff. Documentation of worker’s discipline issues regularly is good practice. If you store them timely, they will come handy when you terminate the staff or any legal conflict comes up.
Nowadays, small companies prefer storing worker’s documents on cloud service to avoid the cost of paper. Moreover, it is more secure.
Benefits Of Write Up Form
Record For Reference
It is not possible for any manager or business owner to remember everything that happens in business daily. It is absurd to expect otherwise. The best way is to document the important events that have happened in the business. For example, if a worker has misbehaved with an angry customer, write down maximum details. Also, get the employee evaluation form from the worker’s file. After that, you should issue a write-up form to warn the staff.
Protection Against Legal Liability
By documenting everything especially write up form, you are actually saving yourself from future legal liability. For a disgruntled worker, it is not difficult to claim that he/she has been mistreated at the job. Not to forget, this may happen after years the worker has been terminated.
When It’s The Right Time To Terminate Someone?
Small business owner finds it hard to terminate workers. Perhaps. The staff has worked for years but the gut is asking the employer to fire the worker or there is a case of irregularity of the worker (for which you can use employee attendance tracker report along with the form).
By law, employers have the freedom to fire a worker at any time for any reason. But there should not be any personal or discriminatory reasons. To avoid legal complications, you must ask the following questions before terminating someone:
- Was the issue performance? If yes, what is the problem? Can we improve the performance of a person by giving training?
- Was the issue attitude? Whether a worker is not cooperative or pretend to be cooperative?
- Was the company fit issue? If yes, what are the problems? Can we retain the employee by providing mentoring?
The Bottom Line
You must document employee discipline, although it is the least favorite perk of any job as an entrepreneur. By documenting employee write-up, you can devise official policies or handbooks based on discipline policy for the employee. By doing so, you can resolve your issues systematically and faster.
