The Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) Follow

Documenting Poor Performance in a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP)

If you believe there are serious issues affecting your employee's work, you should consider documenting poor performance in a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP). 

The PIP is a comprehensive plan that assists employees in improving their performance within a set time period. It provides guidance on the actions needed to improve performance with support from the Rating Supervisor. The PIP outlines how this supervisor will aid the employee in this process.

Creating a PIP

As a Rating Supervisor, you can start a PIP at any time, as long as at least 30 days remain before the end of the performance year. PIPs must be created in GoMBC when an employee receives a Total Performance Score of less than 100 on their EPR.

To create a PIP manually, first find the employee by selecting My Employees from the main menu. The Action to take here is Initiate Performance Improvement Plan.

Select the Performance Period the plan covers and the date it should start. Select Initiate to begin filling out the plan.

Section 1—Employee Data

Confirm the employee's details are correct. The Performance Period and Start Date are carried over from the previous step, though you can adjust them here while editing the document.

Section 2—Areas for Improvement

Fill out details of your specific concerns, directly relating to the employee's Position Description or Annual Work Plan. Provide examples (including dates) of issues you've observed to need improvement.

Section 3—Reasons for Improvement

Add specific reasons why you consider the employee's performance to be ineffective. Examples include missed deadlines, substandard work, or interpersonal conflict.

Section 4—Actions Needed

List the actions the employee must complete to improve their performance. Examples include formal training, counselling, or learning from co-workers. Where appropriate, provide details on the schedule and expected outcomes of these activities.

Section 5—Assistance Provided

Add the actions you will take to support the employee's improvement. This could include closer monitoring of their work, setting checklists, and scheduling regular feedback.

Section 6—Timeframe

Enter the period of calendar days this PIP should cover. Make sure to give the employee enough time and support (at least 30 days) to reach an acceptable level of performance. Most PIPs run 30—120 days, though can run up to the end of the current rating cycle.

Section 7—Signatures

Enter any closing comments as Rating Supervisor, then Endorse the Performance Improvement Plan.

Sharing the PIP

Your endorsed draft of the PIP is now pending HR review. HR now checks the document before they Approve or Return for adjustment.

In both cases the PIP returns to you as the Rating Supervisor. If the PIP is approved by HR, it's time to share it with the employee.

Sharing with the Employee

Return to the PIP document by selecting Current Documents from the main menu. In the Performance Improvement Plans section, you will see the PIP's status and the Action to View Performance Improvement Plan.

At the bottom of the document you should Endorse the PIP once again. This releases it to the employee and prompts them to review its contents.

Once the PIP is released, the employee has 5 days to add their own comments and Acknowledge the document in GoMBC.

Reviewing Performance

At the end of the PIP time frame, you need to formally review this progress. If the employee has shown acceptable performance in the areas identified, as the Rating Supervisor you now need to finalize the PIP document, confirming the end of the process.

Return to the PIP document by selecting Current Documents from the main menu and locating the document in the Performance Improvement Plans section. The Action to take is View Performance Improvement Plan.

You can't edit the document at this point, but at the bottom you should now Initiate Performance Improvement Plan Review. 

Section 7 of the PIP now provides options to Finalize Successfully (ending the PIP if the employee has returned to acceptable performance), Finalize Successfully (ending the PIP and recording that the employee has not returned to acceptable performance), Extend Timeframe if further improvement is needed.

Extending the Timeframe

In some cases, you may need to extend the PIP period. Speak to HR and the employee before requesting an extension.

To extend the PIP period, add the calendar days the extension will run and write a justification for your request. Select Extend Timeframe to pass this request to HR.

HR may Approve the extension, or deny it and Return the document to you. If your extension request is denied, you now need to decide whether the employee has completed the PIP to your satisfaction. Select Finalize Successfully or Finalize Unsuccessfully, adding a justification for your decision.

If HR does Approve the extension, you will be notified to Endorse the PIP's new timeframe. At the end of this period, you will need to Finalize Successfully or Finalize Unsuccessfully the document.

A PIP can only be extended once. The extension runs for a minimum of 30 days and can't go beyond the end of the current rating cycle. Even when extended, the PIP covers the same areas of improvement as before. For new cases of ineffective performance from the same employee, create a separate PIP.