Employee write-up form for a restaurant: documented coaching and written warnings (free template)

Most problems with an hourly employee end with one good conversation. When the same thing keeps happening (late for the opening shift again, the closing checklist skipped again), you need a record of what happened, what you asked for, and what you said would happen next. That's a write-up: short, factual, fair, and never a surprise.

This post has two forms: a coaching note for the first conversation and a written warning for when the problem continues. The larger process, through to the last step, is in our guide to letting an employee go (coming Nov 10).

This is general information, not legal advice. State law or a union contract may add steps. If you're unsure, ask an employment lawyer.

Three levels, and when to use each

Some things skip the steps: theft, violence, harassment, showing up impaired, or a food safety act that puts guests at risk. List them in your employee handbook. And someone who was never trained has a training problem, not a discipline one: try a monthly check-in (coming Nov 5) or a retraining shift first.

The coaching note

Write it the same day. A few lines, not an essay.

Keep it in the employee's file: the record that you raised it early.

The written warning form

One page. Fill in every line before the meeting except the comments and signatures.

Print this line above the employee's signature:

Signing means I received this warning and it was discussed with me. It does not mean I agree with it. I can add my comments above or attach them.

If they refuse to sign, don't argue. Write "Employee declined to sign", have a second manager sign as witness, and offer a copy anyway.

A worked example (invented names)

What isn't there: "Jordan is unreliable." If lateness is a pattern across the team, look at your call-out and no-show policy too.

Rules for writing it

1. Facts, not labels. "Left the walk-in door open at 10:15 and 11:40" is a fact. "Careless" is a label, and labels start arguments.
2. One issue per form, or the second one gets lost.
3. Name the rule. If it isn't written down, write it down and train it before you write anyone up for breaking it.
4. Same standard for everyone. If you'd let it go for your best closer, don't write up someone else for it.
5. Measurable and dated. "Improve your attitude" can't be checked. "Greet every guest within 30 seconds" can.
6. In private, within a day or two, never in front of the team or guests.
7. Nothing unrelated to the job. If the employee says the cause is a medical condition, a disability or pregnancy, stop and take advice; there may be an accommodation to discuss.
8. Follow up when you said you would, and note it on the file when it's fixed.

What you can't write someone up for

Talking together about pay and conditions. Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act says employees have the right "to engage in other concerted activities for the purpose of collective bargaining or other mutual aid or protection" (29 U.S.C. 157). The full section opens: "Employees shall have the right to self-organization, to form, join, or assist labor organizations, to bargain collectively through representatives of their own choosing". It covers most private employers, union or not. So don't write people up for comparing pay or complaining together about tip-outs, schedules or safety, and don't have a handbook rule against it.

Complaining about discrimination or harassment. The EEOC puts it plainly: "The EEO laws prohibit punishing job applicants or employees for asserting their rights to be free from employment discrimination including harassment." Protected activity includes "communicating with a supervisor or manager about employment discrimination, including harassment" and "answering questions during an employer investigation of alleged harassment". Among the things the EEOC says could be retaliation, depending on the facts: to "reprimand the employee or give a performance evaluation that is lower than it should be" (EEOC, Retaliation).

That doesn't make anyone untouchable: "Employers are free to discipline or terminate workers if motivated by non-retaliatory and non-discriminatory reasons that would otherwise result in such consequences." But a first write-up the day after a complaint looks like retaliation. Get advice.

Reporting a safety problem. Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, "No person shall discharge or in any manner discriminate against any employee because such employee has filed any complaint or instituted or caused to be instituted any proceeding under or related to this chapter" (29 U.S.C. 660(c)(1)). If a conflict between two people is behind it all, start with handling conflict between staff (coming Nov 9).

Where the paper goes

One personnel file per employee: a locked drawer, or a folder in your HR or payroll system that only the owner and the responsible manager can open. Give the employee a copy of every warning. Never keep write-ups in a shared drive, a group chat or a notebook on the line, and keep them as long as your state, insurer or lawyer advises.

Where Mays fits

Mays doesn't keep personnel files or write-ups. What it does help with:

• The policy. Put your attendance, conduct and discipline steps in a Knowledge Base article shared with Everyone in org or A location, so staff can read a rule before anyone is held to it. See Your knowledge base.
• The blank forms. Keep this post's two forms in a folder an admin shares with A role set to managers, so every manager uses the same version. See Who can see what in the knowledge base.
• The follow-up date. In the app, create a one-off task for yourself with a due date ("Check Jordan's Saturday clock-ins"). See Creating one-off tasks.
• The facts. Timesheets show each punch next to the scheduled times, with a Late flag on late clock-ins.

Don't put the write-up itself in Mays. The Logbook is read by every manager and admin at the location, so a Staff entry is a handoff at most ("Talked to Jordan about Saturday openings; follow-up Monday"). A custom form with Employee, Text and Signature fields could capture a warning, but every manager at that location can read the submissions under View task data reports, which managers have by default. See The manager logbook and Roles and permissions.

Write it down, then follow up

Coaching note, written warning, final warning: each factual, signed and followed up on time.

Start your free trial: 30 days, every module, no card needed. Or book a walkthrough and we'll set up your policy articles and manager folder with you.