Write-up forms are important for keeping track of problems at work. If a person is disciplined, even if they are fired, having a record is important and may help the company avoid being accused of wrongful termination. Also, write-up forms make warnings clear to employees, and they give them a way to fix things. In this article we’ll discuss all the essentials for writing a perfect employee write-up form.

What are employee write-up forms?

Discipline and decorum are two important elements that make up an organization. Certain rules are always defined and expected to be followed in an organization. In the scenario where rules and regulations are violated, employee write-up forms are often the mechanism adopted to discipline the violators. Some key details that an employee write-up form contains are an employee’s name, position, the violation committed, and the expected correction or improvement in behavior. Employee write-up forms are meant to improve the overall environment of a workplace as the human resource department keeps track of any violations committed by the employees. These basically help in monitoring the behavior and attitude of certain employees with respect to their performance in the workplace. At the organization’s end, these forms should be designed and used professionally and with the aim to right the wrongs. These forms require that the details recorded be very specific, accurate, and objective.

Employee Write-Up Forms Template 01

Employee Write-Up Forms Template 02

Why do we need employee write-up forms?

An employee write-up form is a good way of organizing things in a workplace. For instance, the use of employee write-up form has been observed to help tackle situations where disciplinary action is required. Moreover, the use of these forms is actually a way of highlighting what is and what is not expected of the employees of an organization and that in case of violation of certain rules, the employee will be dealt with and corrected in a specific manner. Recording the details of some violation objectively in the form reduces the chance of staff turnover and even prevents the implementation of unnecessary disciplinary steps.

 Further, in cases where an employee might have to be terminated, evidence of their poor performance or any misconduct can be brought forward in the form of the details recorded in the employee write-up form. Thus, employee write-up forms are seen as a procedure that is transparent when it comes to taking decisions regarding the employees. Just as much as the performance of the employees is important to the organization, so is the role of managers and supervisors in keeping their employees on track. As discussed above, discipline is an organization’s key component and no hesitation should be felt in taking necessary measures that prevent its violation. Similarly, an organization cannot afford an employee’s continued poor performance and the human resource department must come up with a suitable improvement method in this regard.

What is recorded in the employee write-up form?

Given the policies, rules, and regulations designed for a workplace, the write-up forms may differ in type. There might be one for behavior violation in the workplace and another for performance. Some of the fields that are common to all the types include:

1. Warning type: A better way to warn an employee at first is to give a verbal warning and document it. Where the employee fails to correct their actions, a written warning should be issued that also mentions the verbal warning given previously. Progressing on to a written warning would indicate that the matter is serious, and the employee’s actions are not acceptable.
2. Reason: The reason and how it is stated in the form are perhaps the most important components as they can lead to either improvement or disengagement of the employee. Firstly, the reason should not be stated in a word or two. It should be precise and self-explanatory. Secondly, the employee should not at all feel that they are being targeted. Rather, they should be able to grasp the situation right away and know what improvement they are expected to make.
3. Previous discussions: Any discussions done before a written warning should be documented and used as a reference in the later stages. This enables anyone involved to understand the case and know why a written warning is being issued.
4. Suggested correction/improvement: Once the reason or reasons are rightly stated, an expected correction or improvement is also mentioned. For a manager it is crucial that their team’s performance be up to the mark and for this they definitely expect a certain level of performance from their team members. At this point, only the immediate supervisor or manager can best suggest improvement measures. They may as well include a timeline for revaluation of their performance or behavior.
5. Signatures: Signatures at the end of the document confirm that an employee and their team leader have had a discussion on the issue. However, getting an employee to sign the write-up can be a challenge at times. Still, several ways can be adopted that can confirm that the details were shared with the employee. A rebuttal from the employee can be allowed or it may be recorded that the employee is unwilling to sign. Better still is to let them acknowledge the receipt of the form only when they refuse to agree with the form details.

How do we initiate communicating in the process

It is always best to communicate verbally with the employee and find out the cause of their behavior, misconduct, or poor performance. Many times, the issue might be sorted without a write-up form and only through a conversation. This also makes an employee feel that they are valued and the leader intends to help them. In the later stages, the manager must document their meetings with the employee and also communicate with them their progress. Furthermore, the entire record must be saved with the human resource department and should be completely confidential. The employee must be given the details too but only as copies of the original.

What should I keep in mind while writing and Employee writeup form:

The use of employee write-ups as soon as a violation is noted cannot ensure good performance. In fact, write-ups should always be the last resort and choosing this method should mean that all previous steps taken have failed. Some points to be kept in mind are:

• Engage the employee in a conversation to make them aware of the violation committed
• Sort out the matter by looking for the causes and reasons
• Know the organization’s policies
• Users of the form should be well trained and guided
• The recorded details should be factual and specific
• Support and encourage the employee on their journey towards improvement