Updated August 21, 2023
An Employee Reprimand Form is a basic template used to gather information and deliver an Official Reprimand as a result of an Employee’s violation of an Employer’s rules and expectations. This form will provide a definition of the violation, the actions that will be taken, and confirmation of its issuance and receipt by requiring a Signature. Generally, it is considered wise to have an Employee receiving a reprimand to sign the document as an acknowledgment of its receipt. This could help avoid unpleasant misunderstandings regarding this issue in the future or, if necessary, establish an Employee’s unwillingness to adhere to Company rules.
Elements of an Employee Reprimand Form
The following is a list of the elements of a constructive reprimand form:
- Employee’s first and last name along with the date of reprimand.
- Employee’s behavior or description of inappropriate action.
- Information regarding the policies or guidelines being violated.
- Any previous incidents in association with the issue which will help to support a trend of behavior.
- Any previous warnings provided to the employee due to prior history.
- Constructive feedback for the employee.
- Provides the employee and employer with a way to measure current performance.
- Provides the employee with ways to improve and sustain their current performance.
- Provides additional ways to create goals and deliver on the goals set.
How to Serve an Employee Reprimand (4 steps)
- Give Verbal Warning
- Hand Down a Disciplinary Action
- Give Corrective Actions to Be Taken
- Serve and Obtain Signature
1. Give Verbal Warning
Because a written reprimand is a form of serious disciplinary action, a verbal warning should be provided to the employee. The employee in good faith may not understand their lack of performance, the policy that is being violated, or inappropriate behavior. A private conversation advising the seriousness of their actions, or lack thereof, could hinder the issue from progressing further.
2. Hand Down a Disciplinary Action
When the employee fails to improve as previously requested, the employee should be met with disciplinary action. The employer will need to review the disciplinary action by the employee. The employer can then determine if additional commentary or details need to be added to the disciplinary action.
3. Give Corrective Actions to Be Taken
After all facts have been received and details pertaining to the incident have been collected, the employee should be provided with corrective action. The corrective action should encompass steps the employee can take to correct the behavior with set guidelines on when the behavior is expected to be modified by.
4. Serve and Obtain Signature
Upon full discussion and understanding of the Employee Reprimand Form, all parties involved should sign the form. The form should be signed by the employee, which will acknowledge and agree to comply with the requested corrective action. The employer or appropriate party should also sign the form as it acknowledges that all issues on the form were addressed. The employee should then be given a copy of the signed form.