An employment lawyer explains the 3 things you should do the moment you're put on a PIP

Tue, 04/02/2024 - 05:11

Businesswoman looking at a laptop. — Many people are shocked when receiving a PIP, so they don't actually take the time to sit down and read it, says employment law attorney Craig Levey.
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Craig Levey is an employment law attorney of over 12 years.
He says that PIPs are often used by companies to "paper the file" once they've already decided to fire the employee.
If put on a PIP, you should read it carefully, consider if it's reasonable, and decide how to respond.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Craig Levey, an employment law attorney and partner at Bennett & Belfort, P.C., a law firm based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The following has been edited for length and clarity.