Attendance write up template: the parts and a free printout

An attendance write up should say who, when, which occurrences counted, what their total is, which step that triggers and what happens next. Everything else is optional. Leaving out the list of counted occurrences is the common mistake, and the one that makes a write up hard to defend.

This page gives the parts, a template to copy, and a free run that prints one from a real balance. It is a drafting aid, not legal advice; discipline rules vary by state and by contract, so have counsel review the wording.

What should an attendance write up include?

Include these items, in this order:

1. Employee name and ID, and the date of the notice.
2. The step: verbal, written, final written or termination review.
3. The occurrences that count, each with its date, type and points.
4. The date each one rolls off.
5. The total and the policy threshold it reached.
6. What the policy says happens at the next step.
7. Space for the employee's comments.
8. Signature lines for the supervisor and the employee, and a note if the employee declines to sign.

What does the template look like?

Copy this and replace the brackets:

Attendance notice: [step]

Employee: [name], ID [number] Date issued: [date] Policy: [policy name], [window] months rolling

Your attendance record shows [total] points as of [date], which is the [step] level under the policy.

| Date | Occurrence | Points | Rolls off | |---|---|---|---| | [date] | [type] | [points] | [date] |

At [next threshold] points the next step is [next step]. Your oldest counted point rolls off on [date].

Employee comments: ______

Supervisor: ______ Date: ______ Employee: ______ Date: ______ (signing acknowledges receipt, not agreement)

The line "your oldest counted point rolls off on" matters. It tells the employee how the total falls without more missed time.

Why list every counted occurrence?

Because the employee will ask which ones counted, and because a total with no list cannot be checked. The date each point rolls off is the other thing people dispute, so put it in the same table. A balance that is wrong, or points counted after they should have dropped, is where a warning turns into a claim.

How should protected leave appear on the notice?

It should not count and it should not be described. List it as an occurrence that scored zero, or leave it off the notice and keep it in the record. Do not write a medical reason on the notice. Which absences are protected is decided by law and by your policy, so check with counsel.

What tone should a write up take?

State facts and the policy, and leave out opinion. "You were absent on these dates, which under the policy total 6 points" is a fact the employee can check. "You have a poor attitude toward attendance" is a judgment the record does not support. Keep each step's wording consistent across supervisors by fixing it once in the policy, so a written warning reads the same whoever issues it.

Keep the notice short, and attach nothing the employee has not seen. If a supervisor adds a comment, it goes on the form where the employee can read and respond to it. Deliver the notice promptly after the occurrence that crossed the threshold, because a warning that arrives weeks late is harder to connect to what it describes.

How do I fill it in without retyping the log?

Run the free tool below. Set your point values, window and steps, upload the occurrence log (CSV or Excel) or paste it, and the run works out every balance. For anyone at a step, it prints a notice that lists the occurrences counted with their roll-off dates, the balance and the step. Nothing is stored.

In Point Ledger, a notice draft appears in a Needs notice list when a balance first crosses a threshold. It carries the counted occurrences, roll-off dates, balance, step and your own wording for the step. You print it or save it as a PDF, deliver it yourself and mark it issued with a date; Point Ledger keeps that record. It does not send notices to employees.

The balance on a write up is only as good as the log. For how points are added, see how an attendance point system works, and for the thresholds the notice cites, the attendance point system policy guide.

Frequently asked questions

Does a written warning have to be signed?

Policies commonly ask for a signature as acknowledgement, and the template notes that signing is not agreement. If an employee refuses, record the refusal with a witness. What your state or contract requires may differ.

Should the write up cite the policy section?

Yes. Naming the policy and the step ties the notice to the rule the employee already has.

Who should deliver the notice?

Your policy says. Many employers have HR and the supervisor deliver it together, in private, so the employee can ask questions.