Purpose and Scope
This procedure outlines the process for drafting, delivering, and managing Performance Improvement Plans (PIPs) within [Organisation Name]. It applies to all managers initiating a PIP and all covered employees.
A PIP provides a structured framework to correct performance gaps through clear goals, employer support, and defined monitoring periods. A PIP does not alter the at-will nature of employment and does not guarantee employment for the duration of the plan or any period after.
Working through related paperwork at the same time? See also our Performance Review & One-to-One Template (UK), US Performance Review Procedure Template and The Ultimate Job Description Template.
Criteria for Implementation
- Use a PIP for sustained performance gaps against established job descriptions and target objectives, such as quality issues, missed targets, or standard shortfalls that structured effort and support can fix.
- Do not use a PIP for conduct violations, policy breaches, dishonesty, or safety infractions. Manage those issues under the applicable disciplinary procedure.
- Before starting a PIP, verify that performance gaps do not stem from undisclosed medical conditions requiring reasonable accommodation, protected leave, or recent protected disclosures. Consult [Human Resources / Legal Counsel] to resolve these issues before proceeding.
- Do not initiate a PIP if the organization has already decided to terminate employment.
Roles and Responsibilities
- Manager: Drafts the PIP, leads the delivery meeting, conducts scheduled check-ins, provides specified support, and maintains contemporaneous documentation.
- [Human Resources / Reviewing Role]: Reviews draft plans before delivery to verify clarity, measurable criteria, consistency, and compliance.
- Employee: Attends scheduled review sessions, uses provided support resources, works toward target goals, and promptly reports operational obstacles or factual errors.
Writing the Performance Improvement Plan
- Document specific performance gaps with dated examples, referencing job description standards and previously agreed goals.
- Set [2-4] objective, measurable goals attainable within the plan period that tie directly to essential job functions.
- List specific support resources provided by [Organisation Name] (e.g., targeted training, coaching, tools, temporary workload adjustments), specifying designated owners and completion dates.
- Set the plan duration (e.g., [30/60/90 days]) and establish a schedule for regular check-in meetings (e.g., [weekly / bi-weekly]).
- Include explicit notice that failing to achieve and maintain required performance levels may result in reassignment, demotion, or termination of employment, alongside language affirming at-will employment status.
- Submit the draft plan to [Human Resources / Reviewing Role] for review and approval before scheduling the delivery meeting.
Use our templates to fast-track your documentation
Customize this template and 100s of others for free in Whale, the fastest way to get your team aligned.
Delivery Meeting
- Schedule a private meeting with the employee, ensuring [Human Resources / Secondary Manager] is present.
- State the purpose of the meeting at the start. Clearly review each performance gap, supporting examples, target goals, planned support resources, check-in schedules, and potential outcomes.
- Give the employee time to respond, note any disputed facts, and make necessary factual corrections before finalizing the document.
- Obtain the employee’s signed acknowledgment of receipt (noting that signing confirms receipt, not agreement). Document any refusal to sign using a witness statement, give a copy to the employee, and file the original in [System / Location].
Progress Monitoring and Documentation
- Conduct all scheduled check-in meetings as specified in the plan.
- Evaluate progress against each goal in writing on the check-in date using defined status metrics (e.g., on track, behind, met) supported by objective evidence. Share the written note with the employee.
- Track and document all promised support resources according to the agreed schedule.
- Maintain performance standards while adjusting support methods if operational obstacles arise. [Human Resources / Reviewing Role] must approve any formal modification of underlying goals in writing.
Plan Closure and Outcomes
- If goals are met: Issue written notification closing the plan, reiterate the requirement to maintain performance standards, and reaffirm at-will employment status.
- If partial progress is shown: Determine whether to grant a single, time-bound extension with revised check-in dates, subject to approval by [Human Resources / Reviewing Role].
- If goals are not met: Determine the outcome (reassignment, demotion, or termination) in consultation with [Human Resources / Legal Counsel] following the [Termination / Offboarding Procedure].
- Provide written outcome notification to the employee and archive the complete record in [System / Location]. The archive includes the initial plan, check-in notes, support records, and the final notification.
Records Management and Review
- Retain complete PIP documentation (initial plan, meeting logs, support records, and final notices) in the personnel file in [System / Location] for [Period], subject to applicable record-access regulations.
- [Human Resources / Reviewing Role] conducts periodic reviews of PIP implementation to ensure consistent application across teams and protected categories.
- This procedure is reviewed [Frequency, e.g., annually] or following formal disputes arising from plan implementation.
- Procedure Owner: [Role / Title].
- Next Review Date: [Date].
FAQs on a performance improvement plan
What is a performance improvement plan?
A performance improvement plan outlines the process for drafting, delivering, and managing Performance Improvement Plans (PIPs) within your organisation. It applies to all managers initiating a PIP and all covered employees.
Having it written down means the same rules apply to everyone, so managers are not making judgement calls case by case under pressure.
What does a performance improvement plan include?
This template covers criteria for implementation, writing the performance improvement plan, delivery meeting and progress monitoring and documentation.
Every section is written to be filled in. The bracketed placeholders mark the decisions that are yours to make, such as timescales, approval owners and retention periods.
How to implement a performance improvement plan with Whale
Copy this template into Whale and work through the bracketed placeholders so it reflects how your organisation actually operates.
Assign it to the teams it applies to so it sits where people work rather than in a shared drive, and set a review date so it gets revisited on schedule instead of quietly going out of date.
Use our templates to fast-track your documentation
Customize this template and 100s of others for free in Whale, the fastest way to get your team aligned.
