Employee write-up form (free, fill in your browser)
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Open the file, fill anything still in [brackets], and keep a signed copy in the personnel file. The next document in this process is the written warning.
About this form
One form for every step of discipline: coaching note, verbal or written warning, final warning or suspension. It records the facts, the rule involved, the plan and the employee's side, with filled-in examples.
A write-up form is the record behind a disciplinary step. The same form works as a disciplinary action form, a corrective action form or an employee counseling form: what changes is the type of action you tick, not the fields a good record needs.
Every field in the form is there for a reason: the dates and facts show what happened, the policy line shows which rule was involved, the plan and review date show what was asked, and the employee comments show they had a chance to respond. Fill it in, check the preview and download it. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
The full employee write-up form text
This is the whole template as it downloads, with the fields in [brackets].
Employee Write-Up Form
Incident details
Date(s): [Date(s) of the incident(s)]
Time and place: [Time and place]
[What happened, in facts]
Witnesses: [Witnesses]
Records attached: [Records attached]
Policy or expectation involved: [Policy or expectation involved]
Earlier steps on this issue: [Earlier steps on this issue]
Corrective action plan
[What needs to change]
Support offered: [Support offered]
Progress will be reviewed on or before [Review date].
If the issue is not corrected, or if it happens again, it may lead to [If it is not corrected, it may lead to].
This record is not a contract and does not change the terms of employment.
Employee comments
The employee may write comments below or attach a separate written response, which will be kept with this record.
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
Acknowledgement
Signing below confirms that the employee received this record and that it was discussed with them. It does not mean the employee agrees with it.
______________________ Date: __________
Employee signature ([Employee name])
______________________ Date: __________
Supervisor signature ([Supervisor completing this form])
If the employee declines to sign: witness name, signature and date: ______________________
How to use this template
- Fill in the form before the meeting, while the facts are fresh. Pull time sheets, emails or other records and list them under records attached.
- Tick the type of action that matches the step you are taking. Use the same step for the same issue across employees.
- Write the plan so it can be checked: what, by when, and how you will know. Put the review date in your calendar.
- Meet in private, go through the form and give the employee time to add comments.
- Ask for a signature that confirms receipt, not agreement. If they decline, note it and have a witness sign.
- Give the employee a copy and keep the signed original in the personnel file.
Variations
Write-up for attendance: absences, tardiness and no-call no-shows
Use it when an employee is late, leaves early, misses shifts or does not follow your call-in rule.
Attendance is the easiest issue to document well because the records already exist. Pull the schedule and the time records for the period and list each date with the scheduled start time and the actual clock-in time. For absences, note whether the employee called in, when, and to whom. A no-call no-show is a missed shift with no notice under your call-in rule, so write down the rule itself: who must be called, and how long before the shift.
Keep the facts separate from any reason the employee gives. If they mention illness, a family emergency or a medical appointment, do not write your own conclusions about it. Some absences may be protected by federal or state leave laws, so check your state's rules and your leave policy before counting an absence toward discipline.
Incident details
- [Date 1]: scheduled start [time], clocked in at [time]. No call to [shift lead or manager].
- [Date 2]: absent for scheduled shift [time to time]. No call before the shift (no-call no-show).
Policy involved: [Attendance policy, section number]: employees who will be late or absent call [name or role] at least [number] hours before the start of the shift.
Corrective action plan
Starting [date], [Employee name] will clock in by the scheduled start time on every scheduled shift and will call [name or role] at least [number] hours before the shift if they will be late or absent.
Write-up for performance: the standard against the actual result
Use it when the work does not meet a known standard for quality, quantity or deadlines.
A performance write-up works when it compares two things the employee can see: the standard that was set, and what was actually delivered. Name the standard with a number or a clear description (orders per hour, error rate on a checklist, a deadline) and say where it comes from, such as the job description, a training sign-off or an email setting the target.
Then list the actual results for specific dates or periods. Avoid words like careless, lazy or not a team player; they describe character, not work. If the employee needs training, equipment or time with a trainer to reach the standard, write that under support offered and give a review date far enough away to show real progress. For a longer structured plan, a performance improvement plan may fit better.
Incident details
Standard: [the measurable standard, for example 95 percent of orders picked without error], set on [date] in [job description, training record or email].
- [Week or date]: [actual result, for example 88 percent of orders picked without error].
- [Week or date]: [actual result].
Corrective action plan
By [review date], [Employee name] will meet the standard of [standard] for [number] consecutive weeks, as shown in [report or record].
Support offered: [training, checklist, time with a trainer, date].
Write-up for a policy violation: quote your own policy
Use it when a written rule in your handbook or posted policy was broken.
For a policy violation, the policy is the center of the record. Name the document, the section number and the date of the version the employee received, then copy the relevant sentence word for word from your own handbook. Quoting your own policy is fine because you are quoting a document you have in hand. Add when the employee acknowledged receiving the handbook, if you have that record.
Describe what happened in factual terms and connect it to the quoted sentence. Check that you have handled the same violation the same way for other employees; if the rule was rarely enforced before, say that you are reminding everyone of it and consider starting at a lower step.
Incident details
On [date] at about [time], [Employee name] [what was observed, for example used the company card for a personal purchase of $42 at a gas station].
Policy involved: [Handbook name], section [number], version dated [date], received by the employee on [date]. The section reads: [copy the exact sentence from your handbook].
Corrective action plan
[Employee name] will follow section [number] of [handbook name] at all times. [Any specific step, for example submit receipts for all company card charges within 5 days].
Write-up for a safety issue: the rule, what was seen, what you did
Use it when an employee did not follow a safety rule, procedure or equipment requirement.
A safety write-up has three parts: the safety rule, what was observed, and the immediate action taken at the time, such as stopping the task, removing the equipment from service or sending the employee to get protective gear. Record the date, time, location and equipment involved, and when the employee was last trained on the rule.
Stay with what was seen. Do not write conclusions about injuries, health or medical causes; if someone was hurt, follow your injury reporting process separately and keep medical information out of the write-up. Check separately whether the incident has to be recorded or reported as a workplace injury; that is a different step from discipline.
Incident details
On [date] at about [time], in [location], [Employee name] was observed [what was seen, for example operating the forklift without a fastened seat belt].
Safety rule involved: [procedure or policy name and section], last covered in training on [date].
Immediate action taken: [for example, the supervisor stopped the task, the employee fastened the seat belt before continuing].
Corrective action plan
[Employee name] will [the safety requirement] every time they [task]. Refresher training on [date].
Write-up for insubordination: the instruction and the refusal
Use it when an employee refused a clear, work-related instruction from someone with authority to give it.
Insubordination is easy to overstate. The record should show four things: the instruction, who gave it and when, that the employee heard and understood it, and the refusal in the words and actions that actually happened. If the employee said something, write what they said as closely as you can recall it and note that it is from memory.
Leave out labels such as bad attitude, disrespectful or defiant; they are conclusions and are hard to support later. Note any reason the employee gave for refusing. If the reason was a safety concern or a complaint about pay or working conditions, pause and check your obligations before you finish the write-up.
Incident details
On [date] at about [time], [name and title of the person who gave the instruction] asked [Employee name] to [the instruction, for example restock the walk-in cooler before the end of the shift].
The employee confirmed they understood by [how, for example repeating the task back]. The employee then [what they said and did, for example said they would not do it and clocked out at 4:10 p.m. without restocking].
Reason given by the employee, if any: [reason].
Corrective action plan
[Employee name] will carry out reasonable work instructions from [role]. If they disagree, they will raise it with [role] after completing the task.
Write-up for conduct toward coworkers or customers
Use it when an employee's words or actions toward coworkers, customers or vendors broke your conduct standards.
Conduct write-ups go wrong when they describe feelings instead of events. Write what the employee said and did, where, and who was present: raised voice, profanity, a slammed door, a comment about a customer. If you did not see it yourself, say who reported it and when, and what you did to check the account, such as talking to witnesses or reviewing a written complaint.
If the conduct involves harassment based on a protected characteristic, follow your harassment complaint procedure and investigation first. A write-up alone is not an investigation.
Incident details
On [date] at about [time], at [location], [Employee name] [what was said and done, for example told a customer to leave the line and used profanity].
Present or reporting: [names and roles]. Reported to [name] on [date]; [what was done to check, for example two witnesses interviewed on date].
Policy involved: [Conduct policy, section number].
Corrective action plan
[Employee name] will speak to customers and coworkers without profanity or raised voice and will bring any problem to [role] instead of confronting the person.
Filled-in examples
Complete documents with fictional names and facts, to show the level of detail that makes a document clear. Replace every detail with your own.
Filled example: attendance write-up at a bakery
A fictional bakery counter employee is late three times in three weeks and misses one shift without calling. This is the second step after a documented verbal warning.
Employee Write-Up Form
Incident details
- October 2: scheduled 6:00 a.m., clocked in 6:34 a.m. No call.
- October 9: scheduled 6:00 a.m., clocked in 6:27 a.m. Called at 6:15 a.m.
- October 14: scheduled 6:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Did not come in and did not call (no-call no-show).
- October 18: scheduled 6:00 a.m., clocked in 6:41 a.m. No call.
On October 2 and October 18 the counter opened late, and on October 14 the store manager covered the counter until 10:00 a.m.
Records attached: Time records for October 1 to 20; schedule for the same period.
Policy or expectation involved: Employee handbook, Attendance section 3: call the store manager at least 2 hours before your shift if you will be late or absent.
Earlier steps on this issue: Documented verbal warning on September 25 for late arrivals on September 11, 16 and 22.
Corrective action plan
Starting October 22, clock in by 6:00 a.m. on every scheduled shift. If you will be late or absent, call Dana Ortiz at least 2 hours before the shift. A text message does not replace the call.
Support offered: Schedule review on October 23 to check whether a later start on some days is possible.
Progress will be reviewed on or before November 20, 2026.
If the issue is not corrected, or if it happens again, it may lead to a final written warning.
This record is not a contract and does not change the terms of employment.
Employee comments
My bus route changed in October and the first bus now arrives at 6:10. On October 14 my phone was dead. I will ask about a 6:30 start.
Acknowledgement
Signing below confirms that the employee received this record and that it was discussed with them. It does not mean the employee agrees with it.
______________________ Date: __________
Employee signature (Jordan Miles)
______________________ Date: __________
Supervisor signature (Dana Ortiz)
Filled example: safety write-up at a plumbing company
A fictional plumbing technician enters a trench without the required protective system in place. The employer treats it as a final written warning under its own safety policy.
Employee Write-Up Form
Incident details
Date(s): August 4, 2026
Time and place: About 10:20 a.m., sewer line repair job at a residential site on Elm Road
The supervisor arrived on site and saw Sam Keller standing in an open trench about 6 feet deep. The trench box was on the truck and had not been placed in the trench. Sam Keller was cutting the old pipe.
Immediate action taken: The supervisor told Sam Keller to leave the trench. He climbed out. The crew placed the trench box before any further work, and work restarted at 11:05 a.m.
Witnesses: Crew member Luis Ferreira
Policy or expectation involved: Ridgeway Plumbing Safety Manual, section 7.2: no one enters a trench 5 feet or deeper until the trench box or other approved protective system is in place. Last trained on June 12, 2026.
Earlier steps on this issue: Written warning on May 3, 2026 for working in a trench before the trench box was set.
Corrective action plan
Do not enter any trench 5 feet or deeper until the trench box or approved protective system is in place and the lead on site has checked it.
Support offered: Trench safety refresher on August 10, 2026.
Progress will be reviewed on or before November 6, 2026.
If the issue is not corrected, or if it happens again, it may lead to further disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.
This record is not a contract and does not change the terms of employment.
Employee comments
The job was running late and I planned to be in only for a few minutes. I understand the rule.
Acknowledgement
Signing below confirms that the employee received this record and that it was discussed with them. It does not mean the employee agrees with it.
______________________ Date: __________
Employee signature (Sam Keller)
______________________ Date: __________
Supervisor signature (Priya Nolan)
Filled example: conduct write-up where the employee declines to sign
A fictional shift lead swears at a coworker in front of customers. The employee declines to sign, so a witness signs instead.
Employee Write-Up Form
Incident details
Date(s): March 10, 2026
Time and place: About 12:15 p.m., kitchen pass-through next to the front counter
After a tray of rolls came out burned, Chris Andrade shouted at baker Mia Tran, used profanity twice and threw an oven mitt onto the counter. Four customers were in line at the counter and one asked the cashier what was happening.
Witnesses: Cashier Ellie Park; baker Mia Tran
Records attached: Written statement from Ellie Park dated March 10
Policy or expectation involved: Employee handbook, Workplace Conduct section 2: treat coworkers and customers with courtesy; no profanity in customer areas.
Corrective action plan
Raise problems with coworkers calmly and away from customer areas. If a product issue comes up during service, tell the store manager and handle it after the rush.
Progress will be reviewed on or before April 12, 2026.
If the issue is not corrected, or if it happens again, it may lead to a written warning.
This record is not a contract and does not change the terms of employment.
Employee comments
Employee chose not to add comments at the meeting and was told a written response can be added within 5 days.
Acknowledgement
Signing below confirms that the employee received this record and that it was discussed with them. It does not mean the employee agrees with it.
______________________ Date: __________
Employee signature (Chris Andrade): employee declined to sign on March 12, 2026
______________________ Date: __________
Supervisor signature (Dana Ortiz)
If the employee declines to sign: witness name, signature and date: Assistant Manager Ray Coleman, signed March 12, 2026
Example wording
Examples of the level of detail that makes a document clear. Replace them with your own facts.
- Attendance: On June 3, June 10 and June 17 you clocked in at 9:38, 9:52 and 9:41 a.m. for a 9:00 a.m. shift and did not call ahead. On June 10 the store opened 20 minutes late. Plan: arrive by 9:00 a.m. on scheduled days and call the shift lead before 8:30 a.m. if you will be late. Review: July 15.
- Conduct: On May 6, during the 2:00 p.m. team meeting, you raised your voice at a colleague and used profanity after being asked to wait your turn to speak. Two team members were present. Plan: raise disagreements calmly in the meeting or privately with your supervisor afterwards. Review: June 6.
- Performance: Three of the last five client reports (sent April 2, April 9 and April 16) went out with pricing errors that the client flagged. Plan: run the pricing checklist on every report and have it reviewed by a second person before sending. Support: checklist walkthrough on April 20. Review: May 20.
- Safety: On August 12 at about 11:15 a.m. you operated the floor scrubber in aisle 4 without the required safety glasses, after a reminder at the August 1 safety briefing. Plan: wear the listed protective equipment every time you operate the machine. Review: September 12.
Questions people ask
What is a write-up at work?
A write-up is a written record that an employee was told about a problem with attendance, performance or conduct, what needs to change and by when. It is usually one step in a progressive discipline process that runs from a coaching conversation or verbal warning, to a written warning, to a final written warning.
Is a disciplinary action form the same as a write-up form?
In practice, yes. Disciplinary action form, corrective action form, employee counseling form and write-up form are different names for the same record: who, what happened, the rule involved, the plan and the signatures. This form covers all of them; you choose the type of action at the top.
What should be included in an employee write-up?
The date, the employee and supervisor, the type of action and issue, the facts of what happened with dates, any witnesses or records, the policy or expectation involved, earlier steps on the same issue, what needs to change, a review date, the possible consequence, space for the employee's comments and signatures.
Can an employee refuse to sign a write-up?
An employee can decline to sign. The signature line is there to confirm receipt, not agreement, and the form says so. If they decline, write 'employee declined to sign' with the date and ask a witness who was present to sign. The record still documents the conversation.
How long should a write-up stay in the personnel file?
Your own policy decides how long a warning counts toward the next step. Separately, the EEOC's recordkeeping page says employers keep all personnel or employment records for one year, and that the records of an involuntarily terminated employee are kept for one year from the date of termination. State rules can be longer.
How many write-ups before an employee can be fired?
There is no universal number. It depends on your own written policy, the seriousness of the issue and whether the employee is at will under your state's rules. Many progressive discipline policies use three or four steps, but most also say that serious misconduct can skip steps. Whatever your policy says, apply it the same way to employees in similar situations and document each step. If you are unsure, talk to an employment lawyer before a termination. The final written warning, on the written warning page, covers the last step. In Montana, the Wrongful Discharge from Employment Act makes a discharge wrongful when the employer materially violated an express provision of its own written personnel policy, among other grounds.
Can you write up an employee for something that happened weeks ago?
You can, but the record is weaker the longer you wait. Memories fade, witnesses leave and the employee may reasonably ask why it was not raised at the time. If there is a delay, write down the reason, for example that you were investigating a complaint or reviewing records. Addressing issues promptly is also fairer to the employee, who gets a chance to correct the problem sooner.
Should a witness sign the write-up?
A witness is not needed on every write-up. It is useful when the employee declines to sign, so a second person can confirm the meeting took place and the employee received a copy. The witness signs to confirm the meeting, not the facts in the write-up. Choose someone in a supervisory or HR role, not a coworker of the employee, and keep the meeting private.
Can the employee add a rebuttal to a write-up?
Yes, and it helps the record. The form includes an employee comments section and says a separate written response will be kept with the record. Give the employee a reasonable time to write it, attach it to the signed form in the personnel file and do not edit it. Some states give employees the right to see their personnel file or add a statement to it, so check your state's rules.
What is the difference between a write-up and a written warning?
A write-up is the general name for any written disciplinary record. A written warning is one specific step, usually after a coaching conversation or verbal warning and before a final warning. On this form, written warning is one of the types of action you can tick. If you want a letter format instead of a form, use the written warning template.
Can I write up an employee after they complained or asked for leave?
Timing matters. Federal law protects employees who complain about discrimination, take part in an investigation or ask for certain accommodations, and disciplining them because of that can be retaliation. See the EEOC page on retaliation. A real performance or conduct problem can still be addressed, but document the facts and dates carefully and show the issue is unrelated. In this situation, talk to an employment lawyer before you act.
Can I write up an employee for texting or social media posts?
It depends on what was posted and on your written policy. Phone use during work time or a post that shares confidential customer information can be handled like any other policy violation. Be careful with posts or messages where employees discuss pay or working conditions with each other: the National Labor Relations Act protects some of those discussions, including in non-union workplaces. See the NLRB page on employee rights as a general pointer, and get advice if you are unsure.
Sources (4)
General information, not legal advice. Not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. This page is for general information only and isn’t legal, financial or tax advice. Laws vary by state and change; check the official source or talk to a qualified professional about your situation. Report an error