Fix a problem at work so it stays fixed, on one printable sheet. This free corrective action plan template holds the problem and its evidence, a root cause analysis with up to five whys, a table of actions with an owner, due date and status for each, the success measure, the review and signature lines. Choose Operational problem for a fault in a process or piece of equipment, or Employee performance for a plan about one person's work. Start with the fictional plan for missed chiller checks and change it for your own problem.
How to write a corrective action plan
- Choose the plan type, then enter the plan title, business, plan number, plan owner and the date the plan was opened. An operational plan names the area, process or equipment; a performance plan names the employee and their job title.
- Write the problem statement: what was observed, with dates and numbers, and the evidence that shows it.
- Work back to the cause with up to five whys, then write the root cause in one sentence.
- Add up to 12 corrective actions. Give each one an owner, a due date and a status: Not started, In progress or Done.
- Write the expected outcome and the measure that will show the plan worked, then set the review date.
- At the review, choose the result, write the follow-up and verification notes, and check the sign-off lines.
- Read the plan check, then print or download the plan.
Anything left blank prints as lines to write on, and an empty action row prints as an empty row in the table, so the same corrective action form works filled in on screen or completed by hand. Start blank keeps the business, plan type, owner and sign-off roles, dates the new plan today, and gives you five blank whys and four empty action rows.
Find the root cause with 5 whys
A plan that fixes only the symptom brings the problem back. Root cause analysis asks what made the problem possible, so the actions change that instead. The 5 whys is the simplest method: ask why the problem happened, then why that happened, and keep going until you reach a cause the business can change, such as a process, a tool, the rota or training. Five is a guide, not a rule. Stop when the next answer would be outside your control.
Stop short of blaming a person's mistake. OSHA's guidance on incident investigation warns that it is easy, and often misleading, to conclude that carelessness or a failure to follow a procedure alone was the cause, and asks investigators to look beyond the immediate causes. The plan check flags phrases such as "human error", "careless" or "forgot" in the whys and the root cause, as a prompt to ask why once more.
Corrective action plan example: missed chiller checks
The sample plan opens on 9 November 2026 at the fictional Meadow Corner shop. The dairy chiller's log has no afternoon reading on 4 of the 14 days from 26 October to 8 November. Four whys lead from the missed 2 pm check to a rota template that was never updated for food safety checks, so the root cause reads: food safety checks have no named owner on the rota, so they are missed on busy shifts.
Four actions follow, each with one owner and a date: add a check line to the rota template (done), keep the log sheet on the chiller door (in progress), brief the team at the Saturday huddle, and check the log every Monday for four weeks. The success measure is no missing readings for four weeks in a row, so the review on 7 December can tell whether the plan worked: effective and closed, partly effective and extended, or not effective, with the next step to decide.
Keep each action specific and small enough to finish, with a single owner rather than "the team". Pair a quick fix that contains the problem now with the change that removes its cause.
An employee corrective action plan
Choose Employee performance when the plan is about one person's work. The form adds the employee's name and job title and an employee comments section. Unless you have changed them, the sign-off lines switch to Employee and Manager, with an acknowledgement that signing confirms the employee received and discussed the plan, not that they agree with all of it. Describe the work and the standard expected, with dates and examples, rather than the person. The plan check flags a short list of words about personal circumstances, such as age, pregnancy, religion or disability, and labels such as "attitude" or "lazy".
In Great Britain, Acas guidance on problems with an employee's performance says a performance improvement plan should set out specific objectives, a reasonable timeline to meet them and any further support or training, that the employer should talk the plan through with the employee, and that sharing a written record is a good idea. Add the training, coaching or support you will give as actions with their own owners and dates.
Rules vary by place
Rules on managing performance, warnings, disciplinary action and employee records vary by country, state and contract. Follow your own disciplinary or capability procedure and the employee's contract, and give the employee a chance to respond. Acas sets out the disciplinary procedure step by step, starting with whether the problem can be resolved informally. In the United States, the EEOC explains that an employer may not discipline employees differently because of a protected characteristic, such as race, religion, sex, age (40 or older) or disability. This plan is not legal advice. Check your local rules or ask an adviser before you use a plan to make a decision about someone's job.
Related forms
To record the facts of an injury, near miss or damage before you plan the fix, use the incident report builder. To review someone's work over a whole period, use the employee evaluation form. To record who is trained on which tasks, update the skills matrix once a training action is done. When the fix is a repair, raise it with the maintenance work order generator, and when the root cause is a missing or unclear procedure, write it down with the SOP generator.
Print or download the plan
Print / PDF opens your browser's print dialog, where you can print the plan or save a PDF. The text download holds the whole plan, with lines for anything left blank and boxes to tick for the review result. The CSV has one row per action with its owner, due date and status, for a spreadsheet of open actions.
The draft stays in this browser tab if you refresh. Download or print a copy before you close the tab. Nothing you type is uploaded or sent, and names on the plan do not assign work or notify anyone.
Frequently asked questions
Can I make a corrective action plan without an account?
Yes. The builder opens with a fictional sample and works without a login or email address. Nothing you enter is uploaded.
What should a corrective action plan include?
A clear statement of the problem and its evidence, the root cause, actions with an owner and a due date for each, how you will measure success, a review date and a record of the result. This template has a section for each, plus sign-off lines.
What is the difference between corrective and preventive action?
Corrective action removes the cause of a problem that has already happened, so it does not happen again. Preventive action removes the cause of a problem that could happen but has not yet. You can list both in one plan, for example fixing the chiller checks and adding the same check line for the freezer.
Is an employee corrective action plan a disciplinary warning?
Not by itself. Whether a plan forms part of a formal procedure depends on your own procedure, the employee's contract and local rules. If it does, follow that procedure, and say so on the plan.