Evaluate Your Team’s Performance Management —At a Glance

How effectively is your organization managing employee performance today?

What’s Inside the Checklist?

This checklist is designed to help supervisors and HR align before taking action on a performance issue. It serves as a conversation guide to ensure any corrective action is appropriate, fair, and well-supported. You’ll walk through key areas to determine if the issue—and your response—are handled consistently and objectively.

Appropriate Discipline — Do you have a clear reason for the level of discipline you’re recommending? The checklist ensures you consider intent, past performance, years of service, and other mitigating circumstances to match the action with the situation.

Equal Treatment — Are you applying policies fairly across your team? Use this section to reflect on prior disciplinary steps for the individual and compare how similar issues have been handled to avoid inconsistency or bias.

Proof — Did you uncover evidence of the performance issue or misconduct? This part helps you gather and review documentation—like performance data, witness statements, or procedure checklists—to support your decision.

Fair & Sufficient Investigation — Have you conducted a thorough and unbiased investigation? Verify whether you’ve spoken to all relevant parties, reviewed video or time records, and identified potential conflicts that could undermine the process.

Notice — Was the employee clearly informed of the expectations and potential consequences? This ensures that performance standards or work rules were communicated in advance and that training or sign-offs are properly documented.

Reasonable Rule or Work Order — Is the expectation or rule tied to safe and efficient operations? This section prompts you to review whether the policy is reasonable, where it’s documented, and how it supports your organization’s goals.

By the end of the checklist, you’ll have a well-rounded view of the situation—helping you make confident, consistent, and fair decisions. It’s not just a disciplinary tool; it’s a safeguard for your team and your company.

Why Use the Performance Checklist?

This isn’t just a “nice-to-have” PDF – it’s a conversation starter and a roadmap for change. Using this checklist ensures that any performance-related decisions are thoughtful, consistent, and legally sound. It provides a structured framework for supervisors and HR to evaluate all aspects of a performance issue—before taking action. By walking through key areas like evidence, fairness, consistency, and communication, the checklist reduces risk, supports better documentation, and helps maintain trust within your team. It’s not just about discipline—it’s about making sure you’re aligned, objective, and doing right by both the employee and the organization. Think of the Performance Checklist as free consulting distilled into a handy resource.