When you are required to take disciplinary action against an employee, it is essential to create and keep a good record of what steps have been taken. A good record will contain: details of the incident or conduct that led to the disciplinary action, the objective circumstances surrounding your meeting with the employee, and what you communicated regarding your expectations about the employee's future conduct.
Such a record can serve many purposes. If you have a workforce where disciplinary problems come with the territory, it can help you keep each employee's record straight. Use of a consistent format that demonstrates even-handed application of your policies can be strong evidence that your actions are not the result of discrimination. And, if an employee doesn't work out despite your best efforts, you will have built a substantial written case demonstrating why it was necessary to terminate the employee.
The attached file contains a simple form that you can use to document the disciplinary action that you have taken. Remember that your records will be most useful if you promptly complete a disciplinary action form every time you have to take action, whether it takes the form of a conversation or a formal written notice.
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Employee discipline form