In January 2025, I received a call from my client asking what they could do with an employee who they felt was not performing up to company standards. The Company wanted to give this individual an opportunity to improve their performance before they terminated employment.
The Company initiated a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) for the, due to ongoing issues related to job performance, including missed deadlines, lack of responsiveness, and repeated failure to meet essential job expectations despite prior coaching and verbal warnings.
The PIP outlined clear, measurable goals with defined timelines. It included weekly check-ins, additional support and resources, and specific expectations in areas such as communication, accountability, and task completion. The employee was made fully aware that successful completion of the PIP was required to continue employment with the Company.
Over the next 60 days, the employee consistently failed to comply with the terms of the plan. Deadlines were again missed without valid explanation. Required check-ins were ignored or attended without preparation. Assigned tasks were left incomplete, and documentation supporting performance improvements was never submitted despite repeated reminders.
The Company made multiple good-faith efforts to engage and support the employee, including offering additional training and flexibility. Unfortunately, no meaningful effort was made by the employee to improve performance or meet the agreed-upon benchmarks.
Given the employee’s continued non-compliance and lack of progress, the Company determined there was no viable path forward. Employment was terminated based on failure to meet the minimum standards outlined in the Performance Improvement Plan and the overall inability or unwillingness to fulfill essential job functions.
The decision to terminate was not taken lightly. It followed an extended period of observation, coaching, and opportunity for correction. However, in the absence of any demonstrated improvement or engagement, the Company had no choice but to take action in the best interest of the organization and its team.
