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View full libraryIf you wish to dismiss an employee due to concerns with poor performance, use this timeline to help you understand the steps.
This guide will assist you in navigating from a scenario in which you have not yet voiced concerns about an employee's performance to one in which you are in a position to terminate for poor performance.
If you are managing employee performance concerns, the toolkit brings together practical HR templates covering discussions, improvement plans, reviews and outcomes.
The schedule was developed with the assumption that there are no medical or other concerns influencing performance, that complete assistance and training have been provided, that the desired performance is fair, and that particular instances of poor performance are provided.
Timescales are approximate and subject to change for a variety of reasons.
It may be feasible to adhere to this timetable more rapidly depending on the type and severity of the performance problems; the individual's reply; and/or if they do not appeal official warnings issued.
| Date | Step | Outcome |
| Day 1 | Initial meeting to raise concerns |
Review performance overall, strengths and weaknesses, and make sure specific details and examples are given of areas of concern. Ask whether there is training/support that is required to achieve required level of performance and ask whether there is anything else you need to know which might be affecting his/her performance. Agree specifics about what improvements need to be seen and agree a review date. |
| 1 month | Review meeting |
Review objectives agreed at the last meeting. |
You've seen 30% of how the Managers guide to a performance improvement plan (PIP) dismissal timeline is structured. Get the complete editable template instantly and customise it for your organisation.
A Guide to a Performance Improvement Dismissal Timeline is a document that outlines the steps that an employer should take to dismiss an employee for poor performance. The guide typically includes a timeline of actions that the employer should take, such as setting performance goals, providing feedback and coaching, and conducting performance reviews. The purpose of the guide is to ensure that the employer follows a fair and consistent process when dismissing an employee for poor performance, and to minimize the risk of legal action or disputes.
The guide may also include information on the legal requirements for performance improvement dismissals, such as the need to provide written warnings, opportunities for the employee to improve their performance, and the right to appeal the decision.
Overall, a Guide to a Performance Improvement Dismissal Timeline can be a useful tool for employers to manage poor performance in a fair and consistent manner, while also protecting themselves from legal risks.
Yes. This template has been designed for organisations of all sizes, including small businesses, charities and growing employers. It follows UK employment law best practice and can be adapted to suit your organisation.
Our templates are developed with UK employment legislation, Acas guidance and HR best practice in mind and are reviewed and updated as relevant requirements change. However, every employment situation is different, so the template should be adapted to the circumstances and checked against the employee's contract and your organisation's procedures before use.
Yes, we highlight the areas of the document that you need to update with your own details, and where you need to make decisions to suit your situation. This saves you time and ensures that you meet best practice.
Yes. Once purchased, you'll be able to download it instantly. Templates are provided in editable format (such as .doc or .xls) so you can customise them easily, and in PDF format for easy sharing.
If you're looking for broader support, we also offer toolkits and library bundles that include the Managers guide to a performance improvement plan (PIP) dismissal timeline, along with other HR templates and policies for fully managing your situation. These may be more cost-effective if you need deeper advice.
AI can produce a document quickly, but effective HR documentation needs to be more than well-written words. It needs to reflect relevant UK employment law, HR best practice, practical considerations and the circumstances in which it will be used. These resources have been professionally developed around that wider HR context, drawing on extensive practical experience, rather than simply generating a generic document from a prompt.
The wording was approachable without losing the important points. It was easy to dip into without having to read everything from beginning to end. The guide kept the focus on what the manager actually needed to do.
It made a potentially fiddly process feel much more manageable. The guide gave the manager a practical route through the issue. The guide was useful for keeping managers aligned on the approach.
How this content is developed and reviewed
The Managers guide to a performance improvement plan (PIP) dismissal timeline is developed using a practical HR methodology that considers current UK employment legislation, ACAS guidance, CIPD good practice and the real-world HR process it supports. Templates and supporting information are regularly reviewed and updated, with additional reviews triggered by significant changes to legislation, guidance or established HR practice, helping ensure each document remains practical, relevant and suitable for UK employers.
Darryl Horn, Chartered HR Director
Darryl is a Chartered HR professional with over 25 years' experience in senior HR and employee relations roles.
He has extensive practical experience of managing performance improvement HR processes and founded hrdocbox to provide businesses with practical, professionally developed HR resources grounded in UK employment law and best practice.
HRDocBox has been creating practical UK HR documents since 2009.
"Darryl provides support and advice with excellent judgement, and has a strong understanding of people, policies and UK employment legislation."
"He is someone I trust; consistent, dependable, and committed to doing things properly."
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