Address an Employee's Poor Performance
When to Use This Flowchart
Use the Address an Employee's Performance flowchart to determine how to address poor performance, including how and when to discipline an employee for poor performance using progressive discipline.
This flowchart walks an employer through the major steps of the performance management process, from the time an employer has identified a performance issue to the final recordkeeping steps of disciplining an employee. The poor performance at issue could be either a first instance of poor performance or a repeat instance.
Depending on an employer's particular circumstances and needs, steps in this flowchart may be added, altered or eliminated altogether. Because federal and state constitutions, local laws and regulations, labor agreements and public or private contracts may dictate the form and process of discipline that should be used in a particular organization, employers should follow the steps in the flowchart carefully and consult with counsel when appropriate.
Key Steps
- Identify issue with employee performance.
- Determine whether to place the employee on a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP).
- Determine whether to discipline the employee, and if so, the appropriate level of discipline for the employee.
- Continue to manage performance.
Key "What if?" Events
- What if the employee is not an at-will employee, or is under contract?
- What if the employer is a public entity or a public contractor?
- What if the workplace is unionized or partially unionized?