Performance Improvement Procedure
Purpose and scope
This policy has been designed for the purposes of supporting and managing poor performance. It will help to establish whether an employee is unable or unwilling to carry out their duties. It is also about developing staff potential.
It may be appropriate to deal with poor performance under the Disciplinary Procedure as detailed above, when an employee seems unwilling to carry out their duties. However, there may be occasions where an employee is genuinely unable to carry out the requirements of their job role and in these circumstances the following procedure will be followed. This policy applies to all employees whose probationary period has been successfully completed.
Possible causes of poor job performance
There may be many factors at the root of an employee's unsatisfactory job performance. Some examples are as follows:
Organisational factors:
It is important to note that:
It is not always possible to establish the root cause of poor performance and/or
It is not always possible to fully eliminate the root cause of a problem.
However, this will not preclude DINN Enterprise CIC from following the steps set out in this procedure.
Training
If the reason for your poor performance is clearly lack of knowledge or skill, positive steps through training, coaching or supervisory guidance will be given, before dismissal is contemplated. This is particularly important if the job has changed, or where you have recently been moved to a new job or promoted.
Alternative Employment
If you are failing to perform your job to the standard required due to lack of capability, offering a transfer to alternative available work, where appropriate, will be considered. Any transfer will be fully discussed and agreed with you. Any vacancy for suitable alternative work which exists will be considered by DINN Enterprise CIC, as an alternative to dismissal.
Informal Procedure for dealing with Poor Performance
Most cases of poor performance will normally be dealt with initially by informal advice, coaching and counselling. These actions do not form part of the formal process. The first priority will be to try and help you to improve, wherever possible adopting the following approach:
If DINN Enterprise CIC believes that it is due to your own lack of effort, then this issue would be more appropriately dealt with under the disciplinary procedure.
Formal Performance Improvement Meetings
Where there are issues concerning your capability, these will be addressed formally through a Performance Improvement Meeting. Prior to the meeting, the employee will be advised in writing of the concerns and of their right to be accompanied at the meeting.
Stage One – First Formal Meeting
A formal meeting will be organised by your manager. You will be invited to attend and will be offered the right to be accompanied at this meeting by a fellow employee or alternatively a trade union official who is certified as having experience of, or training in acting as a worker's companion at hearings
The aim of the meeting is to set out the areas for improvement, listen to your comments and, where possible, agree a way forward. Prior to this meeting, you will be advised in writing of the broad areas of unsatisfactory performance.
At the meeting you will be given the opportunity to state your case before a decision is made
If, at the end of the meeting, your manager concludes that improvements in work performance are required, you will receive a first formal warning. This will be confirmed in writing where you will be told:
A copy of the written warning will be kept on your file and used as the basis for monitoring and reviewing your performance over a specified period.
Stage Two – Final Written Warning
If, following a further formal meeting, your manager concludes that there has been a failure to improve performance in the timescale set at Stage One; a final written warning will be issued. This written warning will state:
Stage Three – Dismissal
If there is no satisfactory improvement in performance, the likely outcome will be dismissal. This will only occur after a formal meeting:
If, following this meeting, a dismissal occurs; you will receive a letter explaining:
At the meeting, you will be given the opportunity to state your case before a decision is made. You may, if you wish, be accompanied by a fellow worker or alternatively a trade union official who is certified as having experience of, or training in acting as a worker's companion at hearings. DINN Enterprise CIC will inform you of the decision after the meeting. You will be given a right of appeal.
Appeals
If you wish to appeal against a capability decision, you should indicate your intention to appeal in writing. You should inform the person who made the decision within a reasonable time following written confirmation of the decision. The timescale for appeal will normally be indicated in the letter confirming the decision.
We will invite you to attend an Appeal Hearing and you must take all reasonable steps to attend the Appeal Hearing. Where possible, the appeal will be heard by a more senior manager or Personnel Sub-committee member who was not previously involved in making the previous decision.
You may, if you wish, be accompanied by a fellow worker or alternatively a trade union official who is certified as having experience of, or training in acting as a worker's companion at hearings.
DINN Enterprise CIC will inform you of their final decision after the Appeal Hearing. The result of this appeal is final.
Purpose and scope
This policy has been designed for the purposes of supporting and managing poor performance. It will help to establish whether an employee is unable or unwilling to carry out their duties. It is also about developing staff potential.
It may be appropriate to deal with poor performance under the Disciplinary Procedure as detailed above, when an employee seems unwilling to carry out their duties. However, there may be occasions where an employee is genuinely unable to carry out the requirements of their job role and in these circumstances the following procedure will be followed. This policy applies to all employees whose probationary period has been successfully completed.
Possible causes of poor job performance
There may be many factors at the root of an employee's unsatisfactory job performance. Some examples are as follows:
Organisational factors:
- Lack of adequate training
- Goals and targets which are unclear, poorly understood or unrealistic
- Systems and procedures which do not support what the employee is expected to achieve, or which are hard to understand or apply correctly
- A major change to the job in terms of level of responsibility, duties and/or workload
- Poor or inadequate supervision
- Lack of co-operation from other employees, or harassment/bullying
- Overload of work
- A lack of skill or ability on the part of the employee
- Ill-health
- Personal problems affecting the person's concentration
It is important to note that:
It is not always possible to establish the root cause of poor performance and/or
It is not always possible to fully eliminate the root cause of a problem.
However, this will not preclude DINN Enterprise CIC from following the steps set out in this procedure.
Training
If the reason for your poor performance is clearly lack of knowledge or skill, positive steps through training, coaching or supervisory guidance will be given, before dismissal is contemplated. This is particularly important if the job has changed, or where you have recently been moved to a new job or promoted.
Alternative Employment
If you are failing to perform your job to the standard required due to lack of capability, offering a transfer to alternative available work, where appropriate, will be considered. Any transfer will be fully discussed and agreed with you. Any vacancy for suitable alternative work which exists will be considered by DINN Enterprise CIC, as an alternative to dismissal.
Informal Procedure for dealing with Poor Performance
Most cases of poor performance will normally be dealt with initially by informal advice, coaching and counselling. These actions do not form part of the formal process. The first priority will be to try and help you to improve, wherever possible adopting the following approach:
- Explain and discuss the problem(s), with a view to reaching a shared understanding of what needs to happen to achieve the required standard
- Clearly explain the job duties and standards of work required
- (Managers should avoid assuming that employees know what is expected of them as this, in reality, is frequently not the case)
- You will be told precisely and specifically in what way you are failing to meet the required standards
- Your manager will listen to what you have to say in case there are any external factors which are adversely affecting job performance (for example lack of co-operation from another employee, harassment, ill-health, an overload of work)
- If the problem is thought to be health-related, expert medical advice may be sought
- Your manager will explain to you the consequences of continued failure to meet the required standards (i.e. poor job performance could result in the start of the formal procedure)
- Where the reason for poor performance is clearly lack of knowledge or skill, positive steps will be considered to remedy this through reasonable training or coaching
- You will be given a reasonable opportunity to improve to the standard required and time limits will be agreed
- Your performance will be reviewed regularly
- A note of advice and/or coaching offered and actions agreed will be kept. A copy of this will be available to you.
If DINN Enterprise CIC believes that it is due to your own lack of effort, then this issue would be more appropriately dealt with under the disciplinary procedure.
Formal Performance Improvement Meetings
Where there are issues concerning your capability, these will be addressed formally through a Performance Improvement Meeting. Prior to the meeting, the employee will be advised in writing of the concerns and of their right to be accompanied at the meeting.
Stage One – First Formal Meeting
A formal meeting will be organised by your manager. You will be invited to attend and will be offered the right to be accompanied at this meeting by a fellow employee or alternatively a trade union official who is certified as having experience of, or training in acting as a worker's companion at hearings
The aim of the meeting is to set out the areas for improvement, listen to your comments and, where possible, agree a way forward. Prior to this meeting, you will be advised in writing of the broad areas of unsatisfactory performance.
At the meeting you will be given the opportunity to state your case before a decision is made
If, at the end of the meeting, your manager concludes that improvements in work performance are required, you will receive a first formal warning. This will be confirmed in writing where you will be told:
- the performance problem
- the actions expected from you – for example targets and objectives
- the improvement that is required the timescale for achieving this improvement
- a review date
- the support to be offered by DINN Enterprise CIC
- an explanation of what will happen if there is no improvement, or improvements are not sustained i.e. that a failure to improve could lead to a formal written warning and, ultimately, dismissal
- That you have the right of appeal and the name of the person to whom you can appeal.
A copy of the written warning will be kept on your file and used as the basis for monitoring and reviewing your performance over a specified period.
Stage Two – Final Written Warning
If, following a further formal meeting, your manager concludes that there has been a failure to improve performance in the timescale set at Stage One; a final written warning will be issued. This written warning will state:
- the reason for the warning and the change in performance required
- the details of any targets, timescales and support agreed
- that the warning is the final stage of the Performance Improvement Procedure
- that a record of the warning will be kept on your personnel records and will be disregarded for disciplinary purposes after a specified time subject to satisfactory conduct and/or performance (usually 6 months or it might be as long as a year.)
- that a failure to improve performance may lead to dismissal
- that you have a right of appeal and the name of the person to whom you can appeal
Stage Three – Dismissal
If there is no satisfactory improvement in performance, the likely outcome will be dismissal. This will only occur after a formal meeting:
If, following this meeting, a dismissal occurs; you will receive a letter explaining:
- the reason for the dismissal
- that you have a right of appeal and the name of the person to whom you can appeal
- the date on which your employment contract will terminate
- the period of notice.
At the meeting, you will be given the opportunity to state your case before a decision is made. You may, if you wish, be accompanied by a fellow worker or alternatively a trade union official who is certified as having experience of, or training in acting as a worker's companion at hearings. DINN Enterprise CIC will inform you of the decision after the meeting. You will be given a right of appeal.
Appeals
If you wish to appeal against a capability decision, you should indicate your intention to appeal in writing. You should inform the person who made the decision within a reasonable time following written confirmation of the decision. The timescale for appeal will normally be indicated in the letter confirming the decision.
We will invite you to attend an Appeal Hearing and you must take all reasonable steps to attend the Appeal Hearing. Where possible, the appeal will be heard by a more senior manager or Personnel Sub-committee member who was not previously involved in making the previous decision.
You may, if you wish, be accompanied by a fellow worker or alternatively a trade union official who is certified as having experience of, or training in acting as a worker's companion at hearings.
DINN Enterprise CIC will inform you of their final decision after the Appeal Hearing. The result of this appeal is final.
