How to Write a Rebuttal to a Negative Job Evaluation

Many employees undergo an annual job evaluation carried out by their supervisor. The purpose of such evaluations is to monitor the employee's job performance. Evaluations are often used when an employee is being considered for various positive or negative career actions, such as a pay raise or reprimand. Sometimes, an employee may receive a job evaluation that he feels does not accurately reflect the true job performance. Learn how to write a rebuttal to a negative job evaluation in order to defend your position and illustrate your workplace ethics.

Instructions

1. Schedule a meeting with your boss, supervisor or the individual that wrote your negative job evaluation. Ask the individual to explain any negative criticisms found in your job evaluation. Request that additional information that may not have been included in your job evaluation be provided in written form--such as dates for when your manager says you were late to work. Similarly, ask for clarification and additional information for vague terms. For instance, you can request specific examples if you are cited for lacking proper communication skills.

2. Verbalize your disagreement in a calm, collected manner. Be cautious against sounding defensive or phrasing terms in an accusatory manner. Your manager may have made a simple mistake and overlooked areas of your file. Avoid confronting your boss, but firmly ask for clarification on matters where you disagree in order to fully understand exactly what your boss found to be a negative characteristic or event. At the end of the meeting, thank the individual for his time.

3. Contact your union steward (if you are a member of a union) before writing a rebuttal letter. Unions often have specific guidelines to disputing the actions of a business' management team, and may request that you work with the union steward when drafting the letter. In such cases, the union steward can provide you with past precedents in order to help you in drafting a successful rebuttal to the negative job evaluation.

4. Obtain a copy of your job contract, as well as any signed forms or papers detailing your specific job duties. These forms can be obtained from your job's human resources department. Likewise, request a copy of any employee handbooks you may have received upon employment.

5. Read the job material carefully. Use a felt highlighter and a pen to highlight and jot down areas in which your job evaluation clearly disagrees with the agreements you signed upon employment.

6. Write the rebuttal letter to the negative job evaluation using the material you collected in all of the above steps. Be straightforward and firm in your assertions, but avoid accusing your manager of wrongdoing. Stick to the facts and clearly outline your argument. The shorter and more succinct your letter, the more receptive the recipient will be to your rebuttal.

7. File your letter with your manager and your human resources office immediately. Ask that a copy of your filed letter be placed in your employee file for future reference should a similar problem arise in the future. Consult the human resources personnel for guidance on the next step in the job evaluation process. After clearing up your disagreements, you may need to undergo an additional job evaluation.

Tips & Warnings

• While you may be upset, emotional language in your rebuttal letter will only hamper your efforts at reconciling the issue.