An employee write up form is a page that turns an incident into a record: what happened, with dates and specifics; the section of the handbook or code of conduct it breached; what is expected from now on; what happens if it recurs; and both signatures, the employee's as acknowledgment of receipt. It refers to the handbook because a write-up with no policy behind it is an opinion. The employee handbook template on this site prints the handbook the form refers to, free and without an account.
The facts
Date, time, place, what was done or not done, who saw it, in plain sentences. Not a characterisation, not a history; the specific incident. Three late arrivals with dates is a write-up; poor attitude is not.
The policy
The handbook section, quoted or referenced by name: the attendance policy, the code of conduct's line on respect, the expense policy. This is why the handbook exists and why it was acknowledged at hire.
Expectation and consequence
What the employee is expected to do from now, stated so it can be checked; and what happens if it recurs, stated plainly, up to and including termination. A write-up without a stated consequence is a note.
Signatures and the record
The manager's, and the employee's as acknowledgment, with a line for the employee's comments. Kept against the employee with the date; a second write-up refers to the first. HeadcountDesk Pro keeps them; the handbook template prints the policies. From the vendors' own pricing pages, cited below: Homebase lists its Essentials plan at $30 per location per month billed monthly or $24 billed annually, with unlimited employees, and a Basic plan at $0 for one location with up to 10 employees; BambooHR starts at $10 per employee per month for Core and $17 for Pro; Deputy's Core plan is $6.50 per user per month. HeadcountDesk Pro is $24 per month per location.
Questions people ask about employee write up form
What if the employee refuses to sign?
Note the refusal with a witness and the date; the signature is acknowledgment, not agreement.
How many write-ups before termination?
The handbook's process says; the write-ups are the record that it was followed.
Is the handbook template free?
Yes, without an account.