Answers
Straight answers on performance and workplace conflict
Practical UK guidance for managers and HR — Performance Improvement Plans, reviews, and what to do when a conversation goes wrong. Written to actually answer the question, not just to sell software.
How to write a Performance Improvement Plan
A good Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) sets out, in specific and measurable terms, what isn't working, what 'good' looks like, how progress will be checked, and what happens at the end. Write it so the employee can genuinely act on it — not as a paper trail for a decision you've already made.
Read the answerHow long should a Performance Improvement Plan be?
Most UK Performance Improvement Plans run between four and twelve weeks. There's no legal minimum or maximum — the right length depends on the seniority of the role, how quickly the objectives can realistically be demonstrated, and how serious the underlying issue is. What matters more than the exact number of weeks is that the timeframe is genuinely long enough to allow real, measurable improvement, and that it's fixed and communicated upfront rather than left open-ended.
Read the answerWhat happens if a PIP is not met?
If a Performance Improvement Plan's objectives aren't met, an employer's realistic options are: extend the plan with a clear reason, move to a formal capability (or in some cases disciplinary) process that can end in dismissal, or reassign the employee to a role better suited to their skills. Which is appropriate depends on how much progress was actually made, whether the plan itself was fair, and how long the employee has worked there.
Read the answerCan I be dismissed after a PIP?
Yes — in UK law, dismissal for poor performance after a Performance Improvement Plan can be fair, provided the employer followed a reasonable process. It is not automatic, and a poorly run PIP is one of the most common grounds employees successfully challenge at tribunal. Whether a dismissal is fair depends much more on how the plan and the decision were handled than on the fact that targets were missed.
Read the answerHow to give feedback that holds up at tribunal
Feedback that holds up later is specific, evidenced, timely, and recorded in writing close to the event — not reconstructed months afterwards from memory. The goal isn't to write feedback defensively; it's to give feedback that's genuinely fair and useful, which happens to be exactly what stands up if it's ever scrutinised.
Read the answerPerformance review examples and structure
A performance review that actually works has four parts: a review of specific, evidenced events since the last review; agreed objectives for the period ahead; a two-way conversation where the employee can respond; and a written summary both sides recognise. The most common failure isn't the structure — it's filling it with vague, unevidenced statements instead of specifics.
Read the answerWhat to do when a review conversation goes wrong
If a review conversation becomes heated, breaks down, or the employee flatly disputes the account afterwards, stop trying to resolve it in the same meeting. Pause, write down what happened while it's fresh, give both sides a short period to reflect, and use a follow-up conversation — sometimes with HR or a neutral third party present — to actually work through the disagreement rather than papering over it.
Read the answerPIP template (UK)
Below is a Performance Improvement Plan structure you can copy directly, built around what UK employment practice and ACAS guidance expect: specific objectives, a fixed timeframe, documented support, dated checkpoints, and a clear statement of possible outcomes. Fill in the bracketed sections with your own facts — the value of a PIP is in the specifics, not the template.
Read the answerHow much does workplace mediation cost in the UK?
UK workplace mediation is usually priced one of three ways: an external mediator charged by the day (commonly four figures for a one-day case, plus preparation), an internal mediation scheme where you pay for training and then absorb staff time, or an online platform charged per case or per employee per month.
Read the answerWhat does an employment tribunal cost an employer?
There is no tribunal issue fee for claimants in Great Britain, so an employer's cost is almost entirely its own: legal representation, internal management and HR time, and any award or settlement. Defending a straightforward unfair dismissal claim commonly reaches five figures, and discrimination or whistleblowing claims cost considerably more because they run longer and involve more evidence.
Read the answerHow to handle a grievance without it reaching a tribunal
Handle it quickly, take it seriously, offer an informal route first where the issue allows, follow your written procedure if it becomes formal, and record every step at the time it happens. Most grievances that end up at a tribunal did not fail because the employer reached the wrong conclusion — they failed on process, delay, or an absence of evidence about what was actually done.
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