Employee Reviews

Every employee should be reviewed at least annually, but every six-months is better. The review should be documented and a copy kept in the employee's file. These documents become essential tools for defending claims that a reason given for a termination was a pretext to hide the true - illegal - reason. For instance, an employee claims the termination was due to age. You claim it was due to the employees regular failure to come to work on time. The employee says that's not the true reason, its a "pretext." One can pull these reviews and see that for the past two years the annual (or semi-annual) reviews have consistently raised the issue of arriving to work late and the employee being warned. 

EXPERT TIP: When you review employees, be sure to carefully identify all concerns or problems with that employee. Reviews are NOT the time to be soft, empathetic, or worried about offending the employee. It is the time to be honest, frank, and identify the good AND the bad. It helps employees learn and improve, and it helps you defend lawsuits! 

You may use either this form or this version (specifically geared to general reviews of non-exempt employees) to document employee reviews. These are good general forms. Use the pages that are applicable to the review. If it is a discipline matter, use the Discipline Report. If it is a Progress Review to see if problems have been addressed, use that page.