A performance improvement plan (PIP) sets out concerns, targets and a review process. There is no single legal PIP template or universal 30-to-90-day period. Some are helpful; others may be unrealistic. HR involvement alone is not evidence of bad faith.
Look for specific, achievable objectives, a reasonable timeframe, examples of the concerns, planned training or support, regular review and an opportunity to explain obstacles. Ask how targets will be measured and whether disability-related adjustments are needed. A sudden unexplained change in metrics, inconsistent feedback, missing support, or an apparently predetermined outcome merits questions, not an automatic conclusion of illegality.
A PIP does not remove employment rights. If it leads to disciplinary action or dismissal for capability, the employer should act fairly; the Acas disciplinary and grievance Code covers poor performance, although an employer using a separate capability process may adapt its principles. An ordinary unfair-dismissal claim in Great Britain normally requires two years' continuous employment as at September 2026; some claims, including certain discrimination and automatically unfair dismissal claims, do not require that period. Northern Ireland rules differ.
There is not a statutory right to be accompanied at every PIP review. The statutory accompaniment right applies to qualifying formal disciplinary meetings and appeals; check your workplace policy for other meetings. You may ask to give a written response, request relevant performance records, or raise a grievance. A subject access request can obtain your personal data subject to legal exemptions; it is not an unrestricted right to every internal document.
Read the plan before acknowledging receipt; an acknowledgement need not mean agreement. Ask in writing for measurable targets, examples, training, reasonable adjustments and review dates. Keep accurate copies of your own records and record meeting outcomes. If the process appears unfair, raise concerns promptly. Do not assume resignation will protect a claim: constructive dismissal is difficult to establish, though resigning does not automatically bar one, and capability dismissal does not itself prove a redundancy was disguised. Seek independent advice before resigning or agreeing a settlement.
In Great Britain, many dismissal tribunal claims require notifying Acas for early conciliation within three months less one day of the effective termination date, subject to the precise claim and timing rules. A grievance or appeal does not itself pause the deadline. For Northern Ireland, consult the LRA.
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Official sources: Acas disciplinary and grievance Code; Acas employment status; Acas tribunal time limits. General information only.