An Administrator's Guide to California Private School Law

Chapter 5 – Employee Evaluations

 Increased Litigation Risks – Not identifying deficiencies in performance evaluations increases the chance of legal claims and makes it more difficult to defend legal claims.

Section 4 T HE T EN B ASIC S TEPS I N E VALUATING P ERFORMANCE Evaluation is a process of knowing what your employees are doing and how well they are performing their jobs. It is an ongoing process, not an annual event. Evaluating performance requires a supervisor to:  Pay attention – Take note of what employees are doing, both positive and negative.  “Nip it in the bud” – Have informal conversations with employees when

you first become aware of potential problems. Attempt to redirect the employee before an issue requires formal discipline. Contemporaneous discussions are critical.  Use follow up memos – Confirm all “counseling” conversations with a note to the employee documenting the meeting and clarifying understandings reached in the discussion. Even a supportive, positive clarification provides documentation that there was an issue. If an informal conversation does not correct the problem, follow up with a written memo or email to the employee communicating clearly what conduct needs to change. It is important to follow up in a timely manner.

Ask yourself if the employee knows about your expectations. Have you discussed your expectations with him or her? Have those expectations been documented?

LCW Practice Advisor

The basic steps in evaluating performance are outlined below: ONE: Establish Objective Job-Related Goals & Expectations  Quantity  Quality  Deadlines  Required accuracy and detail  Required procedures  Work habits  Team work

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