An Employee’s Guide to Getting Written Up at Work

What does it mean to get written up at work?

You can get written up if you violate a company policy. Most employers have an employee handbook or manual that lists company policies and the consequences for violating them. Most employers don't issue a write-up for a first offense. Rather, they wait until you've established a pattern. For example, you might not get written up the first time you're late to work, but you'll likely get written up if you're late 3 times in a row without a legitimate excuse. In some places, a write-up along with the opportunity to appeal the disciplinary action are both required by law. Check your local labor laws for more information or talk to a local attorney who specializes in employment law if you have questions.

Common Reasons for Write-Ups

Repeated tardiness or unexcused absences Some employers have specific attendance policies, but even if yours doesn't, you're likely to get written up if you aren't there when people are expecting you to be there. Most employers wouldn't write you up for something understandable, such as heavy traffic due to an accident. But consistent issues getting to work on time (or at all) would likely result in a write-up. Employers also vary in terms of the reasons they'll excuse an absence and how much notice they require. Ask your employer if you have any questions about this. Typically, your employer will give you at least a verbal warning about this issue before they write you up, so it won't be like it comes from out of the blue.

Consistent complaints from customers or other employees This could be something as simple as people complaining about a rude employee, but it could be more serious, such as a sexual harassment complaint. How many complaints an employer will field before they write up the employee depends on the severity of the complaint and how strict the employer is. For example, an employer whose reputation rests on kind and empathetic customer service might write up an employee after a single customer complained that they were rude. If the report involves the employee doing something illegal, there typically would be a more extensive investigation before the employer issued a write-up.

Disregard for safety or sanitation protocols Depending on your line of work, there might be various safety or sanitation regulations that you have to follow—especially if you work in food service or around heavy machinery. These regulations are primarily designed to keep you and other employees, as well as customers, healthy and safe. If you're negligent or ignore various protocols, you're likely to get written up. Depending on the severity of the offense, you might not have any warning about a safety or sanitation violation ahead of time. For example, if you let raw meat get contaminated, you'd likely be written up immediately rather than getting a verbal warning first.

Substandard work performance or production Your employer likely expects a certain level of performance from you. If you demonstrate a pattern of not meeting your employer's expectations, they're likely to write you up for substandard performance. For example, suppose you work in customer service and your employer expects you to get 15% of the customers you work with to apply for the company credit card. If your average is only 9% over the course of several weeks, you're likely to get written up. In this situation, your employer will likely have extra training or resources available to help you get your performance up to standard.

Insubordination Most workplaces have a relatively hierarchical structure and you're expected to do whatever your higher-ups tell you to do. If you refuse, your employer will likely write you up. Whether you get a verbal warning depends on the degree of your insubordination. For example, if your shift manager asks you to clean the bathroom and you outright tell them that you're not going to do that, they'll probably write you up because you directly refused.

Creation of a hostile work environment If you're accused of bullying or harassing other employees, your employer will probably write you up for it. Typically, employers launch more extensive investigations before they make the decision to put a write-up in the employee's record. Depending on the severity of the accusations, you might not get a verbal warning in this situation. But you're still likely to know about it ahead of time because your employer will likely talk to you about it at least once or twice before deciding to write you up. If you were falsely accused of this kind of behavior, talk to an attorney who specializes in employment law, especially harassment and hostile work environment law. They can help you stay ahead of the situation and make sure it doesn't become a bigger problem.

Misuse of company resources You might say that everybody does it, but technically, using your work computer to do personal shopping or printing birthday party invitations on the work printer is stealing. Many employers take a dim view of this sort of thing and will write you up, with or without a verbal warning beforehand. At the same time, many employers realize that they can't police every small use of company resources. Check your employee handbook to find out what is and is not permissible. Your time while you're at work might also be considered a company resource. If you're taking too many breaks or constantly on your phone instead of working, your employer might consider that a misuse of company resources.

Working under the influence of drugs or alcohol In almost every line of work, coming in under the influence of recreational drugs or alcohol is a big no-no. Even if your employer doesn't have a formal alcohol- or drug-testing policy, they can still write you up if you come to work inebriated. In some fields, coming in under the influence of drugs or alcohol is also a very serious safety violation. For example, if a delivery driver showed up to work drunk, their employer would likely skip the whole write-up process and fire them on the spot.

Violation of other company-specific policies Each company has its own rules and policies and even if you don't understand or agree with them, you're expected to follow them. Many of these policies aren't considered super-serious, so you're not likely to get written up unless you show a pattern of violations. For example, if your company dress code requires you to wear khaki pants, you might get written up if you repeatedly come to work in jeans. With some employers, you might face a write-up at work because of something you did outside of work. For example, some employers might write up employees who are convicted of a crime.

Handling the Process of Getting Written Up

Take a moment to calm your nerves. Finding out that you've been written up (or are about to be written up) is a pretty stressful experience, even if it's happened to you before. Do some breathing exercises to help ease tension and get your emotions under control so you can think clearly and rationally. In some places, you're allowed to bring someone with you when you talk about the write-up, such as a coworker or trade union representative. If that's the case for you, talk to that person before you meet with your employer to talk about the write-up. You might also request to have someone accompany you, either for emotional support or just as a witness. Ask your employer if they'd be willing to accommodate that and see what they say.

Read through the write-up carefully. Part of the point of a write-up is to create a record of the incident, so you want to make sure it's accurate. Depending on the issue, it might be embarrassing or painful to read, but it's important for you to understand how the situation looks from your employer's perspective so you can consider what you want to do next. While you're understandably worried about your job, remind yourself that the point of this process isn't to punish you, but to help you learn to be a better employee. But should you start looking for another job? Maybe. It depends on what your employer normally does after writing someone up. You might also consider the changes your employer wants you to make and decide if those are things you really want to do or if you'd rather just go work somewhere else.

Ask questions if you need clarification. You want to understand exactly what you did wrong and how you can change your behavior so that the problem doesn't happen again. If there's anything about your employer's policies or their expectations that you don't understand, now is the time to speak up. For example, if you were written up for being late, you might ask your employer if you're expected to be at your desk working or if it's okay if you're somewhere else in the office in the morning.

Stand up for yourself if you believe the write-up is unfair. Maybe you feel like your employer is singling you out for doing something that everyone else does with no consequence. Or maybe the write-up accuses you of doing things that you just didn't do. Regardless, if you disagree with the write-up or think your employer is disciplining you unfairly, you have the right to be heard on the issue. Put your statement in writing, along with copies of any evidence, so it can go in your file along with the write-up. You want your response to be part of the record as well. If you have coworkers who saw the incident and will back you up, get them to write statements on your behalf as well. If you think your employer is discriminating against you or retaliating against you for something you said or did, go ahead and chat with an employment law attorney who specializes in those issues. They typically offer free initial consultations.

Acknowledge your role in the incident and apologize. If you made a mistake or violated a policy, take ownership of your actions. This tells your employer not only that you understand the issue but also the impact that your actions had on your employer or your coworkers. Even if you don't agree with all of the details in the write-up or think you were unfairly written up, there still might be part of it that you can acknowledge. For example, if you were written up for leaving a dangerous piece of equipment running unattended, you might acknowledge that you left while mentioning that one of your coworkers was also close by at the time and able to watch it.

Get feedback from management and coworkers. These can be tough conversations, but this feedback is crucial. If you've recognized something from the write-up that you need to improve, your managers and coworkers can help you understand what you need to focus on to make that improvement happen. For example, your coworkers might give you suggestions on how to up-sell customers after you get written up for a low average transaction rate.

Work openly and actively to remedy the problem. You can say that you're going to change, but your employer and your coworkers likely won't fully believe you until they see that change in action. It might take time to get to where you want to be, but it should still be obvious that you're moving in the right direction. If you're making clear progress towards the goals listed in the write-up, your job is probably safe, at least in the short term. Keep in mind that it costs a company a lot of money to terminate an employee and hire someone else to take their place. Typically, the company would much rather work with you to improve your performance than have to let you go.

FAQs about Work Write-Ups

Why do employers use write-ups? Generally, the write-up creates a written record of the incident and your employer's reaction to it. From your employer's perspective, this record might protect them if you sued them for discrimination or wrongful termination. Some employers might be required to use write-ups and progressive discipline, either by local law or under a collective bargaining agreement with a union.

What information is included in a standard write-up? Most write-ups use a form that includes basic information about you and your employer as well as a description of the incident or pattern of conduct that led to the write-up. Most write-up forms also include space for signatures and might have lines indicating what it means that you've signed the form. There will likely be a reference to the specific employer rule or policy that you violated, such as a page or section number in the employee handbook. Depending on the type of violation, there might also be copies of documents attached as evidence.

Can you refuse to sign a write-up? You can, but it might not have the effect you think. If you just want to record your disagreement with what's included in the write-up, attach your own statement and write "I disagree" above your name before you sign. Also make sure you cross out any preprinted statements on the form that might indicate that you agree to everything in the write-up. If you refuse to sign the write-up, the outcome depends on the employment laws where you live. It might not affect anything at all or your employer might decide to fire you if you're unwilling to cooperate with the plan they've laid out. Be sure to read the statement on the form that explains what a signature means. On some of these forms, your signature merely indicates that you've read the form and understand it—not that you agree with it. If that's the case, there's no reason not to sign it.

Can you get fired without any write-ups? It depends on where you live. If you live in a place that has at-will employment laws, your employer doesn't need a reason to fire you and write-ups don't really matter in that sense—although most employers follow the write-up process anyway. In other areas, employers are required by law to go through this process before they can legally terminate someone, unless that employee committed an extreme violation, such as getting into a fist fight in the workplace.

What if you disagree with the write-up? You typically have the opportunity to state your case and present any evidence that supports your position to your employer. It's usually best if you get all of this in writing so that you're creating a record of your response that your employer can keep in your file with the write-up. For example, if you were written up for being a "no call, no show," you might lean on a text conversation between you and the shift manager that proves you did call out before your shift started. You might also note if you think that you're being unfairly targeted for something. For example, if you get written up for being five minutes late when everyone you work with is routinely 10 to 15 minutes late without getting written up. In some countries, such as the U.S., employees can't write you up as retaliation against you after you stand up for your rights. At the same time, you might have to sue your employer to get any relief. If you live in an area with at-will employment laws, you might want to talk to an employment law attorney. Expressing disagreement with a write-up could result in your termination.