Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) Template

Performance Improvement Plan: [Employee name], [Job title]

A manager-side plan for a period of supported improvement when an employee's work is below the expected standard: the gap with evidence, measurable expectations, the support the employer will give, dated reviews and the possible outcomes. Based on common employment practice, with the UK Acas Code of Practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures (2015) as the fairness reference and dated EU and US pointers. Replace every [bracketed] value and every row marked Example. This is a documentation format, not legal advice: check the current official text and ask a qualified employment adviser before you start a plan.

Contents

1. Background and the performance gap
2. Expectations
3. Support from the employer
4. Timeline and reviews
5. Possible outcomes
6. Employee voice and fairness checks
7. Dated legal pointers (October 2026)
8. Signatures
9. Standard and licence note

Document control

Revision history

1. Background and the performance gap

Context considered before starting the plan: [workload, training received, tools, health or personal circumstances raised by the employee, adjustments made].

2. Expectations

3. Support from the employer

4. Timeline and reviews

Example: a six-week plan starting Monday 2026-11-02, with reviews on Monday 2026-11-16 and Monday 2026-11-30, and a final review on Monday 2026-12-14.

5. Possible outcomes

• Met: the plan closes and normal management resumes. Keep feedback going in one-to-ones.
• Extended: clear progress but not all targets met; an extension of [N weeks] with dates agreed in writing.
• Not met: the manager considers the next step under [the capability or disciplinary procedure], which may include a formal warning or other outcomes set out in that procedure. Any formal step includes its own meeting, the right to be accompanied where it applies and a right of appeal.

6. Employee voice and fairness checks

• The employee has had the chance to comment on the gap and the evidence, and their comments are recorded below.
• The standard is the same one applied to peers in the same role.
• Health, disability, pregnancy, caring duties and other personal factors raised have been considered, with adjustments where reasonable.
• The plan was not started in response to a complaint, whistleblowing report or leave request (check for retaliation risk with the People team).
• The employee knows who to contact in the People team.

Employee comments: [Employee's own words]

7. Dated legal pointers (October 2026)

8. Signatures

Standard and licence note

Based on common performance management practice, with the Acas Code of Practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures (2015) and the EEOC site checked on 2026-10-30 as dated references. Original text written for this collection; people and organisations are fictional. Not legal advice: check the current official text and a qualified professional. Template licence: MIT.