Action Plan for Non Performing Employees
Action Plan for Non Performing Employees

Performance problems require more than a vague instruction to “do better.” A useful action plan identifies the work standard, describes the gap, sets a reasonable timeframe, and explains what support and follow-up will occur. It should also distinguish a temporary setback from a recurring pattern, a skills gap from a conduct issue, and unclear expectations from genuinely inadequate performance. The sample plans below are designed to help managers address underperformance fairly, clearly, and consistently while giving the employee a realistic opportunity to improve.

Action Plan for Non-Performing Employees: Choosing the Right Sample Plan

An effective plan should be specific enough that both the manager and employee can answer the same questions: What is not meeting expectations? What must change? By when? How will progress be measured? What help is available? What happens at the next review?

Use the sample that best fits the situation, then adapt it to the employee’s role, established standards, and organizational procedures. Avoid copying a plan without checking whether the expectations are reasonable and within the employee’s control.

#1. Use an Informal Improvement Plan for an Early or Isolated Problem

An informal plan is appropriate when the performance concern is important but appears manageable through clarification, coaching, or closer follow-up. It may suit an employee who has missed a few deadlines, submitted work requiring more correction than usual, or struggled with a recently introduced responsibility. The purpose is to correct the issue before it becomes a persistent pattern.

Keep the conversation direct but proportionate. Describe observable examples rather than labeling the employee as careless, uncommitted, or incapable. Agree on one or two measurable changes, provide the necessary support, and schedule a short follow-up. A written summary helps prevent misunderstandings without making the first discussion unnecessarily punitive.

Sample informal action plan

Employee: Jordan Lee
Role: Account Coordinator
Manager: Priya Shah
Review period: Four weeks

Performance concern:
Three client follow-up emails were sent more than two business days after the agreed response date during the past month. Two messages also required correction because they omitted information included in the client’s original request.

Expected improvement:
Beginning immediately, client follow-up messages should be sent within two business days unless another deadline has been agreed. Each response should address all questions in the client’s message and include the relevant attachment or next step.

Support provided:
The manager will review the response checklist with Jordan and examine the first three client messages each week during the review period. Jordan may ask for clarification when a request is incomplete or priorities conflict.

Follow-up:
We will meet every Friday for 15 minutes to review completed responses, identify obstacles, and confirm priorities. At the end of four weeks, we will assess whether the expected standard is being met consistently.

If improvement is not sufficient:
Further action may be considered in line with normal company procedures.

This plan is deliberately narrow. It does not attempt to solve every possible weakness at once. A focused expectation makes it easier to determine whether the employee understood the concern and whether the intervention is working.

#2. Use a Formal Performance Improvement Plan for a Recurring Pattern

A formal performance improvement plan is more suitable when the same issue has continued despite previous coaching or when the performance gap is significant enough to require documented expectations and regular reviews. It should not be used as a surprise document. The employee should understand the concern, have an opportunity to respond, and know how performance will be evaluated.

A formal plan should include a defined review period, measurable standards, scheduled meetings, available resources, and a clear explanation that failing to meet expectations may lead to further action under applicable workplace procedures. The manager should avoid promising a particular outcome or implying that improvement is guaranteed.

Sample formal performance improvement plan

Employee: Morgan Patel
Position: Operations Analyst
Manager: Daniel Brooks
Plan period: 60 days
Plan start date: [Insert date]

Purpose of the plan:
This plan addresses recurring concerns regarding reporting accuracy, deadline management, and communication about work that may not be completed on time.

Performance expectations:

  • Weekly operational reports must be submitted by noon each Monday and must contain accurate figures supported by the available source data.
  • Any uncertainty about a figure, calculation, or source must be identified before the report is submitted.
  • If a deadline is at risk, Morgan must notify the manager as soon as the risk is known, explain the reason, and propose a revised completion time.
  • Assigned tasks must be recorded in the team tracking system and updated at least twice each week.

Measures of progress:
During the 60-day period, reports should be submitted on time and require no more than minor corrections. Work-tracking updates should be current at each weekly review. Communication about risks should occur before, rather than after, a deadline is missed.

Support and resources:
The manager will provide the current reporting checklist, arrange one training session on the reporting system, and review the first two reports submitted under this plan. Morgan may request clarification about priorities or data sources.

Review schedule:
Formal review meetings will occur on days 14, 30, 45, and 60. Each meeting will cover completed work, evidence of progress, continuing obstacles, and any agreed adjustments.

Potential outcome:
Successful completion requires sustained achievement of the expectations described above. If the required improvement is not demonstrated, additional action may be taken in accordance with company policy and applicable procedures.

Acknowledgment:
Signing confirms that the plan has been reviewed, not necessarily that the employee agrees with every statement.

The acknowledgment section matters because it separates receipt from agreement. If the employee disputes the facts, record the disagreement and review the available evidence rather than treating disagreement itself as poor performance.

#3. Use a Focused Recovery Plan After a Major Miss or Setback

Sometimes an employee’s overall performance is acceptable, but one serious failure creates operational, financial, customer, or team consequences. In that situation, a focused recovery plan can address the immediate problem without inaccurately portraying the employee as broadly underperforming. The plan should explain both the required correction and the process change needed to reduce the chance of recurrence.

This approach is especially useful when the employee accepts responsibility, the underlying issue is identifiable, and the organization needs a concrete recovery sequence. It should not minimize serious misconduct or replace an investigation when the facts are disputed. If the incident involves safety, harassment, fraud, security, or another matter requiring a special process, follow the appropriate internal procedure.

Sample focused recovery plan

Employee: Elena Ruiz
Role: Procurement Specialist
Manager: Marcus Green
Recovery period: 30 days

Issue requiring correction:
A purchase order was submitted without the required approval, resulting in a delayed shipment and additional internal review. The concern is the failure to complete the approval check before submission.

Immediate corrective actions:

  1. Review the purchasing approval process with the manager before submitting the next three purchase orders.
  2. Use the approval checklist for every order during the 30-day period.
  3. Attach evidence of approval to each order record.
  4. Notify the manager immediately if an urgent request appears to require an exception.

Expected standard:
No purchase order should be submitted without the required approval or documented direction from an authorized person. If information is missing, the order must remain pending until the issue is resolved or an approved alternative is confirmed.

Support provided:
The manager will review the first three orders with Elena and answer questions about urgent purchasing requests. The current approval matrix and checklist will be provided in writing.

Review points:
Progress will be reviewed after the first week, after the third completed order, and at the end of 30 days. The review will consider compliance with the process, communication about uncertainty, and whether the corrective steps have become consistent practice.

Further consideration:
The outcome will depend on the employee’s conduct during the recovery period and on the organization’s established procedures for addressing the original incident.

A recovery plan should not quietly expand into unrelated criticism. Keep the document connected to the specific event, the required remedy, and the controls that will demonstrate reliable performance going forward.

How to Put an Action Plan Into Practice

Before presenting an action plan, gather concrete information. Note the date of the missed deadline, the error in a report, the incomplete task, or the observable conduct that created a problem. Compare the work with a known standard, instruction, agreement, or role requirement. If the standard was unclear, correct that issue before treating the employee as solely responsible.

Consider whether circumstances affected performance. The employee may need training, access, adequate resources, a reasonable workload, or clarification about competing priorities. This does not eliminate accountability, but it helps ensure that the plan addresses the real problem. A plan based on an impossible workload or an undisclosed expectation is unlikely to produce a fair result.

When you meet with the employee, explain the concern and invite a response before finalizing the plan.

I want to discuss a performance concern involving the last three weekly reports. They were submitted after the agreed deadline, and two contained figures that needed substantial correction. I want to understand what contributed to this and agree on a clear plan for meeting the reporting standard.

The expectation going forward is that the report is submitted by noon each Monday, with uncertain figures identified before submission. Let’s discuss what support or clarification you need and set a time to review progress.

After the meeting, provide the plan in writing. Use plain language and avoid terms such as “bad attitude” or “not a team player” unless you can describe the specific conduct behind the concern. Record the employee’s explanation, any agreed support, and the date of the next review.

During the review period, assess evidence rather than impressions. A single successful task may not demonstrate sustained improvement, while one mistake does not necessarily prove that the plan has failed. Look for the pattern described in the plan: timeliness, accuracy, communication, process compliance, or another measurable standard.

What to Include in Every Performance Plan

A useful action plan normally contains the following elements:

  • The specific performance concern: State what happened, when it happened, and why it falls below the expected standard.
  • The required standard: Describe the result or behavior the employee must demonstrate.
  • A measurement method: Explain how the manager will determine whether improvement has occurred.
  • A reasonable timeframe: Give the employee enough time to demonstrate the required change, while scheduling earlier check-ins when appropriate.
  • Support and resources: Identify coaching, training, tools, examples, or clarification the organization will provide.
  • Review dates: Set meetings in advance rather than waiting until the end of the period.
  • The employee’s response: Include relevant explanations, obstacles, or disagreements without presenting unsupported accusations as facts.
  • Possible next steps: Refer to established procedures rather than inventing consequences for the individual plan.

Avoid setting goals that depend entirely on other people’s decisions. “Receive no customer complaints” may be less useful than “respond to customer requests within the agreed timeframe and escalate unresolved issues according to the process.” The second standard focuses on conduct the employee can reasonably control.

The plan should also be proportionate. If the problem is a missed internal deadline caused by unclear priorities, begin with clarification and follow-up. If the issue involves repeated failure after coaching, a more formal plan may be appropriate. Consistency matters, but consistency does not mean using identical documents for every situation; it means applying comparable standards and fair reasoning.

When the Employee Disagrees With the Plan

An employee may dispute the facts, the expectations, the timeframe, or the interpretation of an event. Do not treat disagreement as proof of defensiveness or poor attitude. Ask which specific part is disputed and whether additional information could clarify the matter.

I understand that you see the situation differently. Let’s separate the points we agree on from the points we need to verify. Which part of the plan do you believe is inaccurate, and what information should we review?

The expectation about submitting the report by noon remains important. If the current process or workload makes that unreasonable, explain the obstacle so we can determine whether the expectation, resources, or priorities need to be clarified.

Review relevant records, instructions, workload information, or communications. If the employee raises a credible concern about inconsistent treatment, inadequate training, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or another serious issue, involve HR or the appropriate internal resource rather than trying to resolve everything informally.

The plan may still proceed while a disagreement is reviewed, but do not pretend that disputed facts are settled. You can document both the manager’s assessment and the employee’s response. This preserves accountability while allowing the process to remain fair and evidence-based.

How to Review Progress and Close the Plan

Each review meeting should be brief, prepared, and connected to the written expectations. Bring examples of completed work and identify whether the employee is meeting, partly meeting, or not meeting each standard. Ask what has helped, what remains difficult, and whether any agreed support has actually been provided.

A simple review record can include:

  • The expectation being reviewed.
  • Evidence considered.
  • Progress since the previous meeting.
  • Obstacles raised by the employee.
  • Support or adjustments agreed upon.
  • The next action and date.

Do not wait until the final day to tell the employee that progress is inadequate. If the employee is falling short, explain that promptly and identify what must change before the next review. If the employee is improving, acknowledge the specific behavior rather than offering vague praise. For example, note that three reports were submitted on time and that calculation questions were raised before submission.

At the end of the plan, determine whether the required standard has been met consistently. Possible outcomes may include closing the plan, extending it where a reasonable basis exists, moving to a different support approach, or taking further action under established procedures. Document the reasoning and communicate it clearly.

Closing Thoughts

An action plan for non-performing employees should be a practical management tool, not a collection of vague criticism or a foregone disciplinary decision. Define the gap, establish a measurable standard, provide reasonable support, and review evidence at agreed intervals. Treat the employee respectfully while remaining clear about accountability. When the plan reflects the actual problem and both sides understand what improvement looks like, it gives the employee a fair opportunity to recover and gives the manager a defensible basis for deciding what should happen next.