An employee write-up refers to a document intended to inform an employee of misconduct, poor performance, or violation of workplace regulations as part of a disciplinary action.
How to Write an Employee Write-Up?
An employee write-up commonly includes the following information:
- The date of the letter;
- The name of the employee;
- The position of the employee;
- The details about the issue;
- The information about the consequences;
- The previous warnings (as appropriate);
- The plan to rectify the situation;
- The signature of the supervisor.
An employee write-up should always be written with great care. Such documents need to be specific about the problematic behavior and to provide objective reasons for the warning. Additional information, such as the policy of the company, can be added to the document where relevant.
An employee write-up should be free of unnecessary comments and be issued promptly after the issue is identified.
When to Give an Employee Write-Up?
Write-ups are typically given to any employee who violates workplace regulations or continues to display poor performance after the issue has been addressed formally.
Owing to their corrective nature, write-ups are generally one of the first forms of disciplinary action taken by managers.
How to Respond to a Write-Up at Work?
Employees who receive a write-up should:
- Try to remain calm and professional;
- Schedule a meeting with the manager to discuss the situation;
- Take notes and reflect on them;
- Identify areas of improvement and solutions;
- Follow-up with the manager to verify if the situation has improved.
