Phase 3 of 3 · Hard Conversations
Written expectations
A clear, dated statement of what good work looks like in a role, given to the employee before anyone calls the work a performance problem.
If it was never written, it was never a standard. It was a surprise.
In plain English
Written expectations are the job, on paper, in language the employee has already seen.
- What it looks like in business
- Before a warning, the owner shows the scorecard, the last check-in notes, and the three results that were due this month, instead of announcing a sudden standard.
- Why it matters
- A firing that feels sudden is usually an expectation that was never written, which is how a lawful at will ending still looks unfair.
Reading it once is not the same as knowing it. Put this term in the daily rotation and let the quiz come back for it.
Study this termWhere this comes from
This is HR guidance, not legal advice, and rules change. Check the current text and your own facts before you act on it. When a situation needs a lawyer, Jennifer will say so.
Where it sits
Phase 3: Hard Conversations
A fair process for performance, complaints, accommodations, and exits so the owner is not both the boss and the only adult in the room.