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View full libraryThis Concern About Performance Letter provides a clear written record when an employee's performance is not meeting the expected standard. It is designed for an early, supportive intervention before a formal capability or disciplinary process is considered.
Use this template to:
If you are managing employee performance concerns, the toolkit brings together practical HR templates covering discussions, improvement plans, reviews and outcomes.
This template brings together the key information, sections and considerations you need to create a clear, comprehensive and professional HR document. Preview the document below.
[Sender name]
[Sender address]
[date]
[Recipient name]
[Recipient address]
Dear [Recipient first name],
Concern about your performance
I am writing following our recent discussion about your performance in your role as [Job Title]. The purpose of this letter is to confirm the concerns we discussed and the improvements that are expected.
At this stage, this letter is intended to provide a clear record of the concern and the steps we have agreed to support improvement. It is not a formal warning under the company's disciplinary or capability procedure.
The performance concern
The specific concerns we discussed are:
For example, [provide a clear factual description of the relevant performance issue, including dates, work completed, agreed standards, targets, deadlines or other relevant evidence].
The expected standard for your role is [describe the required standard clearly and, where possible, in measurable terms].
Your comments
During our discussion, you explained that
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This letter provides a structured way for an employer to address concerns about an employee's performance at an early stage. It is intended to encourage improvement, make expectations clear and give the employee an opportunity to understand what needs to change before more formal action is considered.
Performance concerns are often best addressed promptly rather than allowing problems to continue. A clear conversation and written follow-up can help ensure the employee understands the concern and gives them an opportunity to explain any underlying issues.
The letter should focus on observable performance rather than general statements such as "your performance is poor". Examples, relevant objectives, quality standards, deadlines or other measurable expectations should be used wherever possible.
Performance problems may arise because an employee needs additional training, coaching, resources or clearer instructions. The letter can record the support that will be provided alongside the improvements expected from the employee.
The employee should be given a reasonable opportunity to improve, with clear objectives and review dates. The appropriate timescale will depend on the role, the seriousness of the concern and how quickly meaningful improvement can reasonably be assessed.
The letter can explain that performance will be reviewed and that, if sufficient improvement is not achieved, the employer may consider further action under its capability or performance procedure. It should avoid presenting an informal concern as a formal warning unless a formal procedure has actually been followed.
Related HR resources and workflow
Explore the HR resources that may be relevant before and / or after using the Concern about performance letter, helping you understand the wider process, maintain appropriate documentation and follow a consistent approach.
If you have employee performance concerns, this model guide will help you to agree improvement plans for them to achieve and maintain the standards expected.
Use these best practice actions, recommended timescales and process stages to understand when and how the Concern about performance letter should be used, helping ensure each step is handled consistently and appropriately documented.
Understand the common mistakes to avoid when using this HR template, helping you reduce risk, prevent unnecessary costs and ensure the process is handled correctly.
No. This template is designed as an informal written record of a concern about performance. If the employer intends to issue a formal warning, it should follow the appropriate formal capability or disciplinary procedure and make the status of the warning clear.
Yes. The manager should discuss the concern with the employee and listen to their explanation before deciding what support or action is appropriate. There may be underlying reasons for the performance issue that need to be addressed.
There is no single timescale that applies to every performance issue. The period should be reasonable in light of the role, the required improvement, the seriousness of the concern and how quickly performance can fairly be assessed.
Yes, where appropriate. Acas recommends considering support such as coaching, mentoring and training when dealing with capability issues. The letter can make clear what support the employer will provide and what improvement the employee is expected to achieve.
Yes. It is sensible to explain that failure to improve may result in further performance management or formal action. However, the wording should not suggest that a particular outcome has already been decided.
HRDocBox templates are built around practical UK HR processes, employment law and established HR practice. They provide a structured starting point that can be adapted to the circumstances, while employers should obtain appropriate advice where a performance issue becomes complex or potentially contentious.
The structure made it obvious what needed to be communicated and in what order. The relevant points were already laid out, which made the final check much quicker. Having the Concern about performance letter ready saved us from drafting the correspondence from scratch.
We found the Concern about performance letter easy to tailor to the circumstances. We found the balance of detail about right.
The finished letter looked professional without sounding overly corporate. The letter was easy to adapt to our own terminology and process. It helped keep the communication consistent with the rest of our HR paperwork.
The document fitted neatly into the steps we were already following. It was useful for keeping the message focused rather than overexplaining things. The manager could use it without needing a long explanation first.
How this content is developed and reviewed
The Concern about performance letter template 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."
Whether you employ 5 people or 50, hrdocbox gives you the structure, documents and expertise needed to manage employees professionally and legally.
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