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ER policy bot — live in Slack

A manager dealing with a performance issue at 9pm gets the right policy guidance instantly, grounded in the company's own knowledge base. No waiting. No risk of getting it wrong.

Meridian Health · Slack · #ask-people-ops
Meridian
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# general
# engineering
# compliance-alerts
# leadership
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DK
Dhruv Kapoor
SB
Sasha Brennan
TL
Tom Liu
🤖
 People Ops Bot 1
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People Ops Bot
DIRECT MESSAGEOnly you can see this conversation · Powered by Foundify knowledge base
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Today · Tuesday 19 June 2026
DK
Dhruv Kapoor9:04 PM
Hi — need some urgent help. One of my team, Jamie, has been consistently missing deadlines over the last 6 weeks. I've had two informal chats but nothing has changed. I want to start a formal process but I'm not sure what the right step is or what I need to have in place first.
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People Ops BotAPP9:04 PM
Searching Meridian's ER policy and performance management framework…
📚 Knowledge base — Performance Management Policy3 sources cited

Based on Meridian's performance management policy, you're at the right point to move to a formal Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) — but there are a few things you need to have documented first before you can open that process.

Performance Management Policy · Section 4.2
A formal performance process can only be initiated where the manager has conducted a minimum of two informal conversations, documented the concerns raised, and given the employee a reasonable opportunity to improve. Informal conversations must be logged in HiBob under the employee's ER notes within 5 working days of each discussion.

Before you open a PIP, check you have:

  • 1Both informal conversations logged in HiBob under Jamie's ER notes — with dates, what was discussed, and what was agreed
  • 2Evidence of the missed deadlines (project records, emails, or task tracker history)
  • 3Any support you've already offered documented — whether that's additional check-ins, training, or adjusted priorities
⚠️If either of the informal conversations isn't yet logged in HiBob, do that tonight before this goes any further. It's the foundation of the formal process and a gap here could undermine the case later.
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People Ops BotAPP9:05 PM
I've also pulled Jamie's data from HiBob — here's what the AI surfaced:
📊 HiBob AI Insights — Jamie2 sources

Last performance review (Mar 2026): Jamie's delivery score dropped from "Exceeds" to "Meets minimum" — the AI flagged a pattern of missed sprint commitments and delayed handovers as the primary driver.

Recent 1:1s (last 8 weeks): Three 1:1 notes mention workload concerns and one references a blocked promotion. The AI detected a sentiment shift from "motivated" to "frustrated" between January and May.

💡Suggestion: When you have the PIP conversation, reference the specific project data from the review rather than general observations — it's more defensible and shows you've done the homework.
DK
Dhruv Kapoor9:07 PM
I did log one of them but not the second — I'll do that now. What does the PIP itself need to include and how long does it run?
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People Ops BotAPP9:07 PM
Good — log it before you do anything else. On the PIP:
📚 Knowledge base — PIP Framework & Template Guidance2 sources cited

Meridian's PIP template (linked in the sources panel) requires five things:

  • 1Clear performance standards — what good looks like in the role, not just what's going wrong
  • 2Specific, measurable targets — e.g. "all sprint deliverables met on time for 4 consecutive weeks" rather than "improves performance"
  • 3Support offered — what you're committing to provide: 1:1 frequency, any training, access to resources
  • 4Review dates — a midpoint check-in and a final review date
  • 5Consequence statement — what happens if the PIP isn't met, stated clearly but without prejudging the outcome
PIP Framework · Section 2 — Duration
Standard PIP duration at Meridian is 4 weeks for junior roles, 6–8 weeks for mid to senior roles. The plan must include at least one formal midpoint review. Extensions can be agreed at manager discretion with People Ops sign-off but should not exceed 4 additional weeks.

Given Jamie's level, you're looking at a 6-week PIP with a midpoint review at week 3. I can generate a draft using the template — just confirm Jamie's job title and I'll pull it through.

DK
Dhruv Kapoor9:11 PM
Senior Software Engineer. Also — do I need to tell HR before I have the conversation with Jamie, or can I just do it?
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People Ops BotAPP9:11 PM
Yes — for a Senior Software Engineer, you need People Ops sign-off before the PIP conversation happens.
📚 Knowledge base — ER Escalation & Notification Protocol1 source cited
ER Escalation & Notification Protocol · Section 3
For employees at Senior IC level and above, the line manager must notify People Ops and receive confirmation before initiating any formal performance conversation. People Ops will review documentation, confirm the process is sound, and may join the meeting at their discretion.

So the order is: log the second conversation in HiBob tonight → notify People Ops → get sign-off → then have the PIP meeting with Jamie. Don't skip ahead.

Ticket raised — People Partner notified#ER-2024-0847

Don't worry, Dhruv — whilst you get the documentation in order, we've sent your People Partner a ticket. They'll be in touch within the next 24 hours and will review the documents and the case in more detail for any further guidance or nuances we may have missed.

SB
Sasha Brennan · People Partner
Ticket assigned · will respond by 9:11 PM tomorrow
Open ticket →
Knowledge base — live
Sources retrieved for this conversation · visible only to you
📋
Performance Management Policy
Policy · v3.2 · Apr 2026
High match
Covers informal conversations, formal PIP process, documentation requirements, and escalation to disciplinary. Sections 4.1–4.6 cited.
📝
PIP Template — Senior IC Roles
Template · Updated Mar 2026
High match
Standard 6–8 week PIP template for senior individual contributor roles. Includes goal-setting guidance, midpoint review structure, and outcome scenarios. Ready to generate.
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ER Escalation & Notification Protocol
Process Guide · Jan 2026
High match
Defines when People Ops must be notified before manager action. PIP initiation at senior level requires People Ops sign-off. See Section 3.
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Disciplinary & Dismissal Policy
Policy · v2.1 · Feb 2026
Context
Retrieved as downstream context — relevant if PIP is not met and case progresses to formal disciplinary. Not yet cited.
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HiBob ER Logging Guide
How-to · Internal ops
Context
Step-by-step guide to logging ER notes against an employee record in HiBob. Includes field definitions and required sign-off fields.
What this replaces: a manager sending a WhatsApp to their HR contact at 9pm, waiting until the morning, and either doing nothing or doing the wrong thing in the meantime. The bot cites policy chapter and verse, flags what needs to happen before the conversation with the employee, and can generate the PIP draft on the spot — all grounded in the company's own documents, not generic internet advice.