Employee Write-Up Forms & Templates: Download & Print! (2024)

Employee write-up forms are essential for communicating and recording employee workplace violations. In this article, we’ve provided write-up form templates that can be used for some of the most common workplace write-ups.

Below, you’ll find a general attendance, no call no show, and tardiness write-up form.

• What is a write-up?
• How to write up an employee
• How to write up an employee for being late
• How to write up an employee for poor performance
• How to write up an employee for bad attitude
• How to write up an employee for insubordination
• How many write-ups before termination?

Employee write-up forms are documents that employers use to record employee behavioral or performance issues. Typically, these forms are used to keep track of how many times an employee violated the terms of their employment or caused a disturbance in the workplace.

By recording this information, managers can assess an employee’s overall performance and determine whether or not further disciplinary action is necessary. While no one wants to discipline an employee, it’s best to be prepared with an effective write-up method if needed. In doing so, you’ll be able to communicate the issue at hand and decrease the likelihood of the problem recurring.

There are a few methods employers can choose from for employee write-ups. For example, they may select manual forms like the ones we’ve provided here or digital write-ups.

Here’s a brief comparison of manual and digital write-ups:

Manual write-up forms: Manual write-up forms are standard in many workplaces. Much like the ones we’ve provided in this article, manual forms are to be printed and filled out by a manager or supervisor. They are then given to the employee to review and sign before being filed for future reference.

Although manual write-up forms are easy to access, they are easy to misplace. If these forms go missing, employers may not be able to legally pursue further disciplinary action if an employee repeats a violation.

Digital write-ups: Similar to manual write-up forms, digital ones let employers fill in all the details of a workplace violation. Further, they allow employers to store and access previous write-ups easily. This can help management make better-informed decisions when choosing which disciplinary action to take and help avoid legal issues.

Digital write-ups can be completed and stored through employee management apps like Workyard. Rather than printing and filing documents, employers can simply enter the reason for the write-up and have employees sign it directly through the platform.

Employee tardiness can negatively impact many parts of a business. Oftentimes it can lead to other employees having to stay late and go into overtime, delay project completion, and more.

To ensure employees are aware of the seriousness of tardiness violation(s), employers must communicate clearly when an incident occurs. One of the most effective ways of doing so is by providing a formal tardiness write-up.

Write-ups for tardiness should include:

Employee information: First and last name, employee ID, supervisor/manager’s name, date of write-up.

Write-Up Details: A description of what a tardiness violation entails, the date and time of the violation and the number of warnings given for tardiness.

Description of Tardiness Violation(s): An account of the tardiness violation and any supporting evidence of prior violations that led to the chosen disciplinary action.

Action to be taken: The disciplinary action to be given to the employee. Common actions include a warning, probation, or suspension.

Plan for Improvement: A brief plan employees must follow to ensure

Signatures: The signatures of the employee being written up, and the manager or supervisor who issued the write-up.

If an employee hasn’t been meeting expectations, it’s essential that they are made aware of the situation. Doing so can help them know which areas need improvement so that they can make the necessary adjustments to their work.

By providing a write-up form, employers can let their employees know that their performance requires urgent improvement. Write-ups for poor performance should include the employee’s name and information, details of where their work is lacking, the disciplinary action to be taken, a plan for improvement, and a space for their signature.

Perhaps one of the most difficult things to have to write an employee up for is poor attitude. No one wants to hear that their attitude is negatively impacting the workplace. However, leaving the problem unaddressed will only lead to further conflict.

When writing an employee up for having a bad attitude in the workplace, employers should include for following information in their write-up:

• Identification of behavioral issues
• Examples of times or situations where their attitude negatively affected others in the workplace
• Action(s) to be taken whether disciplinary or another intervention such as counseling that may lead to an improved attitude
• Expectations for how the employee should conduct themselves at work moving forward

If an employee has a history of insubordinate behavior, employers will likely need to issue a formal write-up. Refusal to obey a manager’s or supervisor’s reasonable requests and directions can lead to hazards in the workplace and cause unnecessary conflicts.

Insubordination write-ups should include the employee’s name and information, details of when and where the behavior took place, the disciplinary action to be taken, a plan for improvement, and a space for their signature.

By having an employee sign and acknowledge a formal write-up, employers will have a record of what took place to reference if the behavior continues.

The number of write-ups an employee receives before termination will depend on several factors. Employers must take into account the seriousness of an employee’s violation(s), how long an employee has been with the company, and their policies for terminating employment.

Generally, workers in the U.S. can be fired without notice. This means that if an employee has committed a serious violation even just once, they can be terminated on the spot. That being said, certain states have their own rules when it comes to providing notice.

If your state does not require notice before termination, it’s still good practice to utilize employee write-up forms. By doing so, you can let employees know how many “strikes” they have before termination if they violate the terms of their employment. Today, many businesses choose to issue three formal write-ups before letting an employee go.