One-page summary · 3 min read
101 Sample Write-Ups for Documenting Employee Performance Problems
by Paul Falcone
The big idea
Most managers freeze the first time they have to put a performance problem in writing — not because the conversation is hard, but because they don't know what the document is supposed to say. Falcone's answer is a reference manual, not a theory book: over 100 ready-to-customize write-ups, one for nearly every performance and conduct problem a manager will actually face, each built on the same four-part structure so nothing gets left out or left ambiguous.
Incident Description, Performance Improvement Plan, Outcomes & Consequences, Employee Rebuttal — the structure behind every sample in the book.
Skip any one of the four and the document stops being defensible: no incident description and there's nothing concrete to point to; no stated consequence and the next step is a surprise; no rebuttal section and there's no record the employee was heard.
Key ideas
Progressive discipline, not a single event
Verbal warning, then written warning, then final warning, then termination — each step only triggers if the specific, agreed target from the step before wasn't met.
Document the behavior, not the person
"Missed the March 3rd deadline by four days" is defensible; "has a bad attitude about deadlines" is a character judgment that won't hold up and won't help the person know what to change.
Write it up when it happens
Memory fades and details blur. The write-up is only as strong as how specific and timely it is.
The Performance Improvement Plan section
One measurable target, one deadline — not a list of aspirations. If two people couldn't agree on whether it was met, it isn't specific enough yet.
Outcomes and consequences, stated upfront
What happens if the target is met, and what happens if it isn't — in writing, before the clock starts, so there's no ambiguity to argue about later.
The employee rebuttal
Space for the employee's own written response, on the same document. It protects due process and often surfaces context a manager didn't have.
Try it this week
- Pull one real, current performance issue and draft just the Incident Description section — facts and dates only, no judgment language.
- Write the Performance Improvement Plan section: one measurable target, one deadline.
- Draft the Outcomes & Consequences section before looping in HR, then compare notes with them.
Is it for you?
Best for
- A manager who's never written a formal performance write-up and wants a real model to work from, not a blank page
- An HR partner building a documentation process managers will actually use consistently
Less useful if
- You want the "why" behind performance management as a discipline — this is a reference manual of templates, not a book to read cover to cover
- You're looking for the harder conversation itself, not the document — see Crucial Accountability for that half