What Should Be Included in an Employee Write-Up Form?

In today’s fast-paced workplaces, maintaining a productive company culture and ensuring employee engagement are top priorities for HR professionals and managers. Yet, disciplinary issues like repeated tardiness, absenteeism, or poor work performance can disrupt operations, contribute to high turnover rates, and foster low morale. This is where an employee write-up form becomes essential. A well-structured write-up form for employees serves as a formal notice and a cornerstone of a fair disciplinary process. It promotes a consistent disciplinary process, supports performance improvement, and protects both the company and the employee through well-documented disciplinary actions.

This comprehensive employee write-up guide explores everything you need to know about creating an effective employee write-up template. We’ll cover what is an employee write-up, the employee write-up process, best practices for how to write up an employee, and common reasons to write up an employee. By the end, you’ll understand how to legally write up an employee while fostering a collaborative work environment and avoiding red flags of bad company culture like disparate treatment or wrongful termination risks.

What Is an Employee Write-Up?

An employee write-up is a formal write-up document that records disciplinary action against an employee for violating company rules, workplace rules, or failing to meet job expectations. Also known as a disciplinary write-up, employee disciplinary action form, or written warning, it creates a written record in the employee’s personnel file. This write-up documentation is critical for progressive discipline, which typically escalates from a verbal warning to a performance improvement plan (PIP), suspension, or termination.

Unlike casual feedback, an employee write-up document is official. It ensures legal compliance, provides evidence in disputes, and supports recordkeeping. According to Gallup research, disengaged employees cost companies billions in lost productivity rates. Addressing employee performance issues early with employee write-ups can boost engaged employees and reinforce company values like punctuality, reliability, and respectful behavior.

Why Use an Employee Write-Up Form?

A standardized employee write-up template ensures a consistent format across all disciplinary actions. Without it, managers risk unequal treatment, which can lead to disgruntled employee complaints or lawsuits. Here’s why every organization needs a write-up form:

1. Promotes Fairness: A standardized template applies the same disciplinary process to everyone.
2. Legal Protection: Well-documented disciplinary actions align with anti-discrimination laws and prove the company is an equal opportunity employer.
3. Improves Performance: Clearly outlines expectations and a plan of action for improving employee performance.
4. Reduces Turnover: A fair disciplinary process prevents low morale and shows employees their employee perspective matters.
5. Supports HR: Tools like HRIS tools (e.g., Salarybox or other HCM software) integrate employee write-ups with performance management, time and attendance tracking, and compliance monitoring.

Key Components of an Employee Write-Up Form

A robust write-up form for employees should include the following sections. Use clear language, objective language, and focus on observable behaviors rather than personal opinions.

1. Employee Details

Capture employee information accurately:

• Full name
• Employee identification number
• Job title
• Department
• Supervisor information (name and title)

HR Tip: Include a field for HR manager or HR review to ensure oversight.

2. Incident Information

Document the infraction with precision:

• Date of incident
• Time of incident
• Location
• Description of the incident (stick to observable actions)
• Policy violated (reference the employee handbook or specific company policies)

Example: “On October 15, 2025, at 9:45 AM in the warehouse, the employee operated a forklift without a seatbelt, violating Safety Policy 4.2.”

3. Impact Statement

Explain the consequences:

• Impact on company (e.g., low productivity, delays)
• Impact on employees (e.g., created a hostile work environment)

4. Witnesses and Evidence

• List witnesses
• Attach eyewitness statements
• Reference performance records, attendance records, or system logs

5. Employee’s Response

Provide space for:

• Employee’s explanation
• Employee comments
• Employee input

This section ensures employee perspective is heard and supports a progressive disciplinary process.

6. Previous Incidents

Reference:

• Previous warnings (verbal or written)
• Previous incidents

This builds a case for escalation if needed.

7. Consequences and Plan of Action

Outline:

• Immediate consequences (e.g., verbal warning, written warning, suspension)
• Consequences of repeated behavior (e.g., termination)
• Action plan (e.g., customer service training, performance goals, follow-up meetings)

8. Signatures

Require:

• Employee signature (acknowledges receipt, not agreement)
• Supervisor write-up signature
• HR signature (for HR review)

HR Tip: If the employee refuses to sign, note it and have a witness sign.

Common Reasons to Write Up an Employee

Understanding common reasons to write up an employee helps managers act promptly. Here are frequent scenarios with employee write-up examples:

1. Absenteeism and Tardiness

• Write up for absenteeism: “Employee missed three shifts in October without notice, violating the attendance policy.”
• Tardiness example: “Arrived 45 minutes late on November 1, 2025, causing production delays.”

2. Poor Performance

• Write up for poor performance: “Submitted reports with 30% error rate despite performance improvement plan.”
• Poor work quality: “Delivered subpar work on Project X, requiring rework.”

3. Unprofessional Behavior

• Write up for poor behavior: “Used offensive language during team meeting, creating disruptive behavior.”
• Unprofessional language example: “Referred to colleague as ‘lazy’ in Slack channel.”

4. Policy Violations

• Write up for dress code: “Wore flip-flops in the lab, violating professional appearance policy.”
• Write up for acceptable use: “Accessed social media on company network, breaching network safety rules.”

5. Safety Infractions

• Write up for safety violations: “Failed to wear PPE, risking a safety infraction.”

6. Harassment or Discrimination

• Write up for sexual harassment: “Made inappropriate comments, violating anti-discrimination laws.”
• Write up for discrimination: “Refused to assist a customer based on race.”

7. Threats or Violence

• Write up for threats and violence: “Threatened physical harm, constituting gross misconduct.”

Step-by-Step Write-Up Process

Follow this step-by-step write-up to ensure legal compliance and fairness:

1. Gather Information
   • Review performance records, attendance records, and relevant company policies.
   • Talk to witnesses and collect eyewitness statements.
2. Conduct a Private Meeting
   • Hold an in-person write-up or virtual private meeting.
   • Use a professional tone and clear communication.
   • Start with: “Let’s discuss the incident on [date] to understand what happened.”
3. Complete the Form
   • Fill out the employee write-up PDF or employee write-up Word template.
   • Use objective language: “Employee shouted at coworker” (good) vs. “Employee was rude” (bad).
4. Review with Employee
   • Explain the description of incident, policy violated, and consequences.
   • Allow employee’s response.
5. Issue the Write-Up
   • Have both parties sign.
   • Provide a copy to the employee (send a write-up via email if needed).
6. File and Follow Up
   • Store in personnel file using HRIS tools.
   • Schedule follow-up meetings and monitor progress.

Best Practices for Employee Write-Ups

1. Be Timely: Address issues within 48 hours.
2. Stay Objective: Avoid emotions in write-up.
3. Use a Standardized Template: Ensures consistent format.
4. Offer Support: Include training or performance improvement resources.
5. Leverage Technology: Use HCM software for employee onboarding, offboarding, benefits administration, and performance management.

What to Avoid in Employee Write-Up

• Subjectivity: Don’t say “seems lazy.”
• Unequal Treatment: Apply rules consistently.
• Retaliation: Never punish for protected activities.
• Poor Recordkeeping: Always date and file.

How HR Software Streamlines Write-Ups

Modern HRIS tools automate:

• Time and attendance tracking to flag repeated tardiness.
• Performance management dashboards.
• Compliance monitoring to reduce compliance risk.

Real Employee Write-Up Examples

Tardiness Example

Employee: Jane Doe

Date: November 3, 2025

Incident: Arrived at 10:15 AM (scheduled 9:00 AM).

Policy: Punctuality Policy 2.1

Action: Verbal warning; next incident = written warning.

Unprofessional Language Example

Employee: John Smith

Incident: Used profanity in client email.

Impact: Damaged company reputation.

Plan: Customer service training by November 15.

The Role of Progressive Discipline

Most companies follow progressive discipline:

1. Verbal warning
2. Written warning (first employee write-up)
3. Performance improvement plan
4. Suspension
5. Termination

FAQs About Employee Write-Ups

Employee Write-Up FAQs

1. How long does a write-up last?

Typically 6–12 months, depending on policy. Severe issues (e.g., harassment) may remain permanently.

2. Can I send a write-up via email?

Yes, but follow with an in-person write-up for discussion.

3. Do verbal warnings count as write-ups?

No, but document them as previous warnings.

4. How do I start a write-up conversation?

Use: “I’d like to discuss an incident to ensure we’re aligned on expectations.”

5. What if an employee refuses to sign?

Note refusal and have a witness sign.

6. Are write-ups confidential?

Yes, store in secure personnel file.

7. Can a write-up lead to termination?

Yes, after progressive disciplinary process.

8. How do I legally write up an employee?

Use objective language, gather evidence, and follow company policies.

9. Where can I find an employee write-up template?

Download free employee write-up PDF or Word templates online or use HRIS tools.

10. What’s the HR role in write-ups?

HR professional reviews for legal compliance and fairness.

Conclusion

An effective employee write-up form is more than paperwork—it’s a tool for building a healthy company culture, improving employee performance, and protecting your organization. By including employee details, incident description, employee input, and a clear action plan, you create transparency and accountability.

Whether you’re addressing absenteeism, insubordination, or safety violations, consistency is key. Leverage HR software  to streamline the employee write-up process and integrate it with performance management.

Start today: Review your current write-up form, train managers on best practices, and commit to a fair disciplinary process. Your engaged employees and productive company culture will thank you.