Corrective Action Plan Template

Plan for any undesirable actions, outcomes, or behaviors that occur in the workplace.

About the Corrective Action Plan Template

Once in a while, a manager or HR representative must deliver a corrective action plan to an employee. It’s a difficult conversation, but when inappropriate behavior occurs or job performance fails to meet expectations, the best course of action is to document the infraction. Not only does it help drive the conversation between HR, the manager, and the employee, but it also paves the way for actionable next steps for improvement.

Keep reading to learn more about how to use this simple Corrective Action Plan Template.

What is a corrective action plan?

A corrective action plan takes difficult conversations — whether regarding behavior or job performance — and puts them into a professional, written framework so that the process, next steps, and details of the conversations are documented. A corrective action plan might include the following:

A write-up of the deficiency (behavioral or performance) and why it has created a disconnect in the expectations of the role.
An HR-approved template describing what is included in the corrective action plan and what steps must be followed.
A process of stop, start, and continue that is clearly laid out.
Clarification of roles & responsibilities.
A specification of the ramifications of not following the corrective action plan.

This might seem like a lot of work for a manager or HR team member, but that’s why having an easy-to-use template is just what you need to simplify the tasks!

When to use corrective action plans

Corrective action plans aren’t always negative in nature. Sure, the most common use case might be combating behavior issues, but corrective action can also signal the need for sweeping changes within an organization or team. Put more simply: corrective action can be looked at like quality assurance within individuals or teams that pinpoints a problem, then sets out to fix a specific behavior, task, process, or product.

Create your own corrective action plan

When it comes to corrective action plans, the most important thing is eliminating murky communication, aligning expectations, and providing step-by-step instructions for your employee. Here’s how to create your own, using Miro’s easy premade template:

Define the problem! Every corrective action plan must first start with a problem that must be addressed. Make sure you write this down.
Document everything: Stakeholders, metrics, dates, expected resolution. Everything should be carefully documented so you have a record of the action plan.
Set priorities and realistic goals. Whether this is an action plan for an individual or a team, setting yourself up for success means setting up priorities and goals.
Set a deadline. Set a deadline for completing the steps for corrective action. Also make sure you clearly outline the consequences for not meeting the deadline.