Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom

Key definition

Conduct definition

What does Conduct mean? Conduct describes an employee’s behaviour at work (acts or omissions) against contractual terms, workplace policies and expected standards. In UK employment law, conduct is a potentially fair reason for dismissal under the Employment Rights Act 1996 s.98(2)(b), although the term is not defined in statute. Fairness is assessed under s.98(4) and the Acas Code of Practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures. Case law (including the Burchell test) requires a reasonable investigation, a genuine belief on reasonable grounds that misconduct occurred, and a sanction within the range of reasonable responses. Serious or deliberate misconduct may amount to gross misconduct...

Advising on Informal Performance Management Meetings: Structuring Discussions, Delivering Feedback, Coaching and Agreeing Action Plans

Published by a LexisNexis Employment expert

Practice notes

This ‘How to’ guide clearly explains how to run an informal Performance management meeting. It helpfully outlines the meeting structure, in particular delivering appropriate feedback, basic coaching skills, and agreeing an action plan to be followed thereafter.

An informal performance management meeting can very usefully be divided into two clear stages:

explain in discussion with the Employee clearly the difference between their current performance and the level expected, and then also establish the reasons for any under-performance where appropriate
agree ideas on how to close that gap

For further information and context on the management of under-performance generally, see Practice Note: How to manage under-performing employees.

Establishing the nature of the under-performance and the reasons behind it

Although the manager will need to provide some feedback during the conversation (see Feedback, below), the most valuable approach in the meeting is asking effective questions.

The manager might be fully aware of the problems, but it is essential the employee likewise recognises the issues and understands the causes for themselves, and the reasons behind them too...

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Web page updated on 28/05/2026

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