August 06, 2013
- A written record of continued poor performance is more likely to withstand legal scrutiny.
- Periodic evaluations let the employee know what is expected.
- Evaluations advise the employee whether performance conforms with the employer’s standards and expectations.
- Avoid lenient evaluations and state employee shortcomings clearly and fully.
- Evaluations should offer specific ideas of how an employee can directly improve performance and correct deficiencies.
- Evaluations should analyze each employee’s skills separately and use objective factors (i.e. attendance records) in evaluating performance.
- The absence of periodic evaluations may cause a terminated employee to feel as though the reasons proffered for discharge are a pretext for a discriminatory reason.
- Don't let past evaluations unduly influence current ones. Performance often changes and the records should cover performance during the period being evaluated.
- When an employee’s work product deteriorates or there is an allegation of wrongdoing, an investigation is in order. The starting point is a review of the employee’s performance evaluations.
Author:
Anne Ladov Eisemann, Esq.
Jackson Lewis, LLP
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