You’ve warned them three times.On paper, you’ve warned them zero.Third no-call,no-show. Here’s what you say Monday.The talk you owe the long-timer, word for word.The friend on your payroll. The talk as the owner, word for word.Stop rehearsing it in the car. Walk in with the exact words.“You’re singling me out.” Your next sentence is written out.Late again. Here’s exactly what you say.One set of house rules. English and Spanish.
Word-for-word scripts for the talks you keep putting off, from the no-call, no-show to the long-timer who’s slipping, and the form to fill in that night.The talk word for word, from “Jake, sit down a minute” to what happens next time, and the log you fill in tonight. One of 32 conversations, each with its form.For the one who’s been with you for years and is slipping now: what to say, what they’ll say back, and what to write down that night.From “I’m talking to you as the owner right now” to “Are we good?”, and what to write down after, the same as for anyone.The opening line, what they’ll say back, your answer, and what never to say. For the talks owners put off, from the late start to the star nobody can stand.From Script 16, word for word: “Every chair is on the same rotation. You’re the one I’m talking to because Saturday happened in front of me.” Every script writes out that moment, and tears, anger and walking out.Not “You’re always late.” Script 1 opens with the clock: “You clocked in at 5:22, 5:31, 5:26, and today at 5:34.” Then what he’ll say, what you say back, and the log you fill in that night.Add the Policy Pack to Firm & Fair: 10 written rules in both languages and one sign-off form. Then the exact words for when someone breaks one.Add the Policy Pack to Firm & Fair: 10 written rules in both languages and one sign-off form. The Team Edition adds the 9 records your employees sign, in Spanish too.
Written for a kitchen of fourteen, a two-bay shop, a crew of six with two vans, a salon with four chairs and a front desk.
One payment, instant download. 30-day refund, no questions, and you keep the files.
Real pages. Tap one to read it.
32conversations, word for word, from the first late start to the last day
18templates in Word and PDF, each with a filled-in example
32Quick Cards on your phone, one per script, for the two minutes before you walk in
Three warnings. None of them on paper.
You meant every one. But the day you decide to let someone go, or the state asks why they left, all you’ll have is “I’ve told them a hundred times.” Nobody can check that. Not even you.
And the third one, in front of the whole line, made things worse.
Firm & Fair puts it in the right order: talk early and in private, with words that hold up when they push back. Write it down the same day. Follow through. And before any write-up or firing, run the Check, so you know when to stop and get advice first.
Tuesday, by the walk-inHey. I need you here at six.
Saturday, after the rushSeriously. This has to stop.
Two weeks later, in front of the lineOne more time and we’re done.
In the fileNothing
Part 2 · The Conversations
Read one. The whole thing.
Pick a script by the problem, not the setting. A late barista and a late roofer get the same talk, so swap in your own names, times and places. Every script has the same shape, so you always know where you are, even when the talk goes sideways.
Part 2 · The ConversationsEveryday problems
1. Late again
The situation
Your gym’s 5:30 a.m. class needs the doors open at 5:15, and Logan, who coaches it, has the key. Four times in three weeks, members stood in the dark parking lot waiting on him: he clocked in at 5:22, 5:31 and 5:26, and at 5:34 this morning. Two members texted you about it, and one asked how to freeze her membership.
Before you sit down
The facts to bring, where and when to talk, and the Check. They’re on the Playbook pages below.
The opening
You“Logan, got ten minutes? It’s about mornings. The 5:30 needs the doors open at 5:15. You clocked in at 5:22, 5:31, 5:26, and today at 5:34. Four times in three weeks.”
“That’s people standing in a dark parking lot, and one of them asked me about freezing her membership. I need you here at 5:10. What’s getting in the way?”
The beats
They“My alarm’s been garbage. I’ll get a new one.”
You“Get two. I need you in at 5:10, four mornings a week. If 5:10 doesn’t fit your life anymore, tell me now, and we’ll look at the schedule.”
They“It’s a few minutes. Half the class rolls in late anyway.”
You“They paid to roll in whenever they want. You’re paid to have the doors open at 5:15. That’s the part members notice.”
They“Mason’s late for the 6 p.m. all the time.”
You“If Mason’s late, that’s a talk I’ll have with Mason. This one’s about your four mornings.”
Then pull Mason’s clock-ins tomorrow. If they look like Logan’s, Mason gets this same talk this week. Otherwise you’ve handed Logan his best argument.
They“Okay. It won’t happen again.”
You“Good. I’m making a note of today. If you’re late again, the next talk goes on paper.”
If it turns
If he says you’re picking on him.
“I’m going by the time clock. Here are the four mornings. If anybody else’s clock-ins look like this, they get the same talk.”
Then make sure that’s true.
Never say
✗You’re always late.Why: He’ll fight the word “always,” and he’ll win, because he was on time Monday. Four dates and four clock-in times are much harder to argue with.
✗You’re not getting paid for that class.Why: He coached it, so you owe him for it. Docking pay for time someone actually worked can be a wage violation, and with a salaried employee, don’t touch the pay at all until you’ve checked. Put the consequence on paper and leave the paycheck alone.
The rest of Script 1, exactly as it appears in the Playbook: before you sit down, the other turns, the third never-say, write it down. Tap a page to read it.
Saturday brunch, the busiest six hours of your week. Jake was on the flat-top at 7. At 7:15 he wasn’t there, and he didn’t pick up either of your calls. You worked the flat-top yourself until 1 while Marisol ran the rest of the line, tickets hanging the length of the rail. At 2:40 Sunday afternoon he texted: “sorry about yesterday, am I still on tues?”
Before you sit down
The facts to bring, where and when to talk, and the Check. They’re on the Playbook pages below.
The opening
You“Jake, sit down a minute. Saturday you were on at 7 for brunch. You didn’t come in, you didn’t call, and I didn’t hear from you until Sunday afternoon.”
“Before anything else: are you okay?”
Never say
✗As far as I’m concerned, you quit.Why: Calling a no-show a resignation is a firing you didn’t think through. If he was in the ER, or the day was protected leave, it’s a firing you’ll have to explain to someone else.
The rest of Script 2, exactly as it appears in the Playbook: before you sit down, if it turns, the other never-says, write it down. Tap a page to read it.
Part 2 · The ConversationsThe ones only an owner has
13. The long-timer who’s slipping
The situation
Glenn has run bay two at your shop for sixteen years, and he trained half the techs you’ve got. In the last six weeks two of his brake jobs came back: the Hendricks Silverado with a soft pedal, and a Camry with a caliper bolt that was never torqued. Twice this month, the torque line on his repair order was blank. You’ve been rechecking his work after close and saying nothing.
Before you sit down
The facts to bring, where and when to talk, and the Check. They’re on the Playbook pages below.
The opening
You“Glenn, two of your brake jobs came back in the last six weeks, and the torque line was blank twice this month. That’s not like you. I want to hear what’s going on.”
The beats
They“Everybody gets comebacks. Ask Jason how many he’s had.”
You“Jason’s work is between me and Jason. Right now I’m asking about the Camry and the Silverado. Walk me through the Camry.”
They“I torqued it. Somebody must’ve moved it after.”
You“Maybe. The line’s blank, though, and if it’s not on the sheet, I can’t show a customer it happened. That goes for every bay.”
They“I was doing brakes before you had a sign out front. I don’t need a checklist.”
You“You know brakes better than anybody here. The sheet is how I prove that to a customer when something comes back. It’s two minutes a wheel.”
They“Maybe I’m just getting too old for this.”
You“I’m here about the torque sheets, that’s all. Is anything here at work getting in the way of doing them every time?”
They“No. It’s been a rough couple of months, that’s all.”
You“I’m sorry. You don’t have to tell me what it is. If something here would help, tell me, and I’ll look at it.”
They“I’ll get it done.”
You“Okay. Torque check on every wheel, signed, starting today. Friday at 4:00 we look at the sheets together. I’d rather fix this with you than around you.”
Never say
✗None of us are getting any younger.Why: When he jokes about his age, don’t join in. Agreeing turns a talk about torque into a talk about age, and if his job ever ends, that’s the sentence a lawyer underlines. Go back to the sheet.
The rest of Script 13, exactly as it appears in the Playbook: before you sit down, if it turns, the other never-says, write it down. Tap a page to read it.
Part 2 · The ConversationsThe ones only an owner has
14. The friend you hired
The situation
You and Danny have been friends since eighth grade, and he’s been on your landscaping crew for two years. The trucks roll at 7:00, and three times in two weeks he’s walked in at 7:20 or later. He took the F-250 home for the weekend without asking, and Thursday you heard him tell the new hire, “Relax, the boss is my buddy.” Nobody on the crew has said a word to you about any of it, which tells you plenty.
Before you sit down
The facts to bring, where and when to talk, and the Check. They’re on the Playbook pages below.
The opening
You“Danny, I’m talking to you as the owner right now. You’ve been late three times in two weeks, and the F-250 went home without a word. Both of those stop today.”
The beats
They“Come on, man. It’s me.”
You“That’s why this is hard. With anybody else, I’d have said something two weeks ago. I waited because it’s you. That part’s on me.”
They“It was one weekend. I filled the tank.”
You“I know you did. But if you can take a truck home, so can Javier, and so can Shane. Trucks stay in the yard unless I sign off. Same as everybody.”
They“Nobody cares when I show up.”
You“They care. They just won’t say it to you, because they figure you’ve got a pass. You don’t. Seven o’clock, on a truck, every day.”
They“So now you’re my boss.”
You“I’ve been your boss for two years. I just haven’t acted like it with you. Starting today, I am.”
They“And Thursday? I was just messing with Eli.”
You“I know. Eli doesn’t. When he hears ‘the boss is my buddy,’ he hears the rules are for him and not for you. I need you showing him the opposite.”
They“Fine. Are we good?”
You“We’re good. Saturday’s still on, if you’re coming. And tomorrow, the truck rolls at seven.”
Never say
✗You know I’d never fire you.Why: It’s a promise you may not be able to keep, and it tells him the rules are optional. If it ever comes to that, he’ll quote it back to you, maybe in front of a lawyer.
The rest of Script 14, exactly as it appears in the Playbook: before you sit down, if it turns, the other never-says, write it down. Tap a page to read it.
Part 2 · The ConversationsThe ones only an owner has
16. The top performer nobody can stand
The situation
Simone does more color than any stylist in your salon, close to 40 percent of it. Saturday, with a client in chair three, she told the shampoo assistant, “I said the purple toner. Try listening.” Twice this month she’s taken a walk-in who was next up for Kelsey, and the front desk has quit asking her to move anything on the book. Two assistants left this year, and both brought her up on the way out.
Before you sit down
The facts to bring, where and when to talk, and the Check. They’re on the Playbook pages below.
The opening
You“Simone, your book is the best in this salon, and I want you here. I need to talk about how people are getting treated on the floor, starting with Saturday and the toner.”
The beats
They“She grabbed the wrong toner. I had a client sitting right there.”
You“You were slammed, I get it. Correcting her is fine. ‘Try listening,’ in front of a client, isn’t. Tell her quietly, or tell me.”
They“So I get in trouble for caring about the work?”
You“You care about the work more than anybody here. I need the way you talk to the assistants to match it.”
They“Walk-ins go to whoever’s free. That’s how it’s always been.”
You“The rotation’s on the desk sheet, and next up gets the walk-in. On the 9th and the 16th, you took two that weren’t yours. That stops. Same rule for every chair.”
They“Who’s been complaining? Is it Kelsey?”
You“I’m not going to get into who said what. I saw Saturday myself, and the walk-ins are on the sheet. That’s what we’re talking about.”
They“Half my clients would follow me if I left.”
You“Maybe they would. That’s your call to make. Mine is how people get treated here, and that’s the same for every chair, yours included.”
They“Fine. Anything else?”
You“One thing. When the desk asks you to move a client, give them a straight answer, even if it’s no. I’ll check in with you two weeks from today.”
Never say
✗You bring in too much money for me to lose you, but…Why: She’ll hear the first half and nothing after it. You’ve just told her the rule has a price, and what it is.
The rest of Script 16, exactly as it appears in the Playbook: before you sit down, if it turns, the other never-says, write it down. Tap a page to read it.
Those are five of the 32. The others cover the call-outs that always land on weekends, the attitude, the raise you can’t afford and letting go someone who’s been there for years. See all 32, and where each one is set
What you get
Three parts that work together.
Each script ends by pointing to the record you fill in afterward, and each record comes with a filled-in example. Nothing to piece together yourself.
The words
The Playbook
PDF, in a print edition (8.5 × 11 in) and a phone edition
Part 1 · The MethodThe four moves, the discipline path, the Check, and when to stop and get advice. Short on purpose.
Part 2 · The Conversations32 scripts, word for word, plus 2 protocols for the moments that matter most: when they say “lawyer” or “labor board,” and when an employee brings you a complaint.
Part 3 · When It EndsThe before-you-fire checklist, a minute-by-minute run sheet for the meeting, final pay and separation notices (how to check your state, with official sources), the unemployment claim, telling the team, references.
The paper
The Paper Trail
18 templates, editable in Word, with PDFs
Every template comes with a filled-in example, so you see what a good record looks like before you write your own.
Conversation Record
Written Warning
Final Written Warning
Performance Improvement Plan
Attendance Log
Incident Report
Investigation Interview Notes
Witness Statement
Investigation Summary
Suspension Pending Investigation Letter
Termination Letter: Performance
Termination Letter: Conduct
Termination Letter: Position Eliminated
Separation Checklist
Final Pay Worksheet
Resignation Acceptance Letter
Team Announcement
Return of Property List
In your pocket
Quick Cards
PDF sized for your phone
One card per script: the opening line, the three beats, the never-say, and what to write down afterward. For the parking lot, two minutes before you walk in.
See all 32 conversations, and where each one is set
Everyday problems
Late again a gym
The no-call, no-show a restaurant
Call-outs that always land on weekends a grooming shop
Phones on the floor a garden center
The attitude (“not my job”, eye-rolls, the sigh) a kennel
A customer complained about them a heating company
Two people who can’t work together a bakery
Gossip that’s splitting the crew a property office
Sloppy work you keep fixing yourself a painting crew
A safety rule ignored a roofing crew
Appearance and hygiene (the careful version) a front desk
Cash or inventory that doesn’t add up (no accusation) a taproom
The ones only an owner has
The long-timer who’s slipping an auto shop
The friend you hired a landscaping crew
The family member on payroll a flooring warehouse
The top performer nobody can stand a salon
Undermining you in front of the team a restaurant kitchen
The raise you can’t afford an office
“I’ll quit unless…” a childcare center
The one who acts like they own the place a hardware store
Cutting hours a cleaning company
Laying someone off (the job goes, not the person) an insurance agency
The manager you promoted who isn’t working out a remodeling crew
On paper, then out
The documented conversation a pet-care company
The written warning meeting a roofing crew
The final warning a childcare kitchen
Starting a performance plan a catering company
Letting someone go for performance a warehouse
Letting someone go for one serious act (after the facts are checked) a heating and air company
Letting go someone who’s been there for years a fabrication shop
Suspension pending investigation a restaurant
Telling the team a boutique
Plus 2 protocols
When they say “lawyer”
When an employee brings you a complaint
Two editions
Choose your edition.
One payment and an instant download. No subscription, and no account to set up.
Crew reads Spanish? The Team Edition has the records they sign in Spanish, and the Policy Pack has the house rules in both languages. The scripts and Quick Cards are in English.
30 days, full refund, no questions. You keep the files. Refund policy
Questions before you buy? Email support@getfirmfair.com. We answer within 1–2 business days.
Written for workplaces in the United States.
Practical wording and process guidance for business owners. Not legal advice. For a specific situation, talk to an employment attorney licensed in your state.
For comparison, HR subscriptions start at $99 a month. Firm & Fair is one payment.
Part 1 · The Method
The same four moves, every time.
Notice it early
The second late start, not the tenth. A small problem needs a small conversation.
Talk privately
Never on the floor, never in front of the crew. The facts, what you need, and one question.
Write it down the same day
On the right form, in plain words, while you still remember exactly what was said.
Follow through
The check-in you promised, the next step you named, or a thank-you when it’s fixed.
The discipline path
Coaching
Documented conversation
Written warning
Final warning
Letting them go
Every step has its script and its form. The Playbook also covers when one serious act can skip steps, and what to check before it does.
The Check
Know when to stop and get advice.
Trouble often starts with something reasonable done at the wrong moment: a write-up the week after a complaint, a firing right after a request for time off.
So before any write-up, performance plan or firing, the Playbook has you run the Check.
A tip from the Playbook: many business insurance policies include an HR or legal helpline. Find out whether yours does now, before you need it.
Before you act, has any of this happened?
They complained about something at work recently.
They asked for time off, or for a change in how or when they work.
They told you about something personal that may need time off or a change at work.
There’s a workers’ comp claim.
They were a witness in someone else’s complaint.
They’ve talked with coworkers about pay or working conditions.
The timing could look like payback.
It’s a layoff, and you’re choosing someone 40 or older.
Someone could believe the real reason is a different one.
Any yes: stop, and get advice before the next step.
Who it’s for, and who it isn’t.
It’s for you if
You own or run a US business with roughly 1 to 50 employees: a restaurant or café, a trade or home service, an auto shop, a store, a salon, an office or practice, a cleaning or landscaping company, a childcare center, a gym.
You’re the HR department. There’s nobody to hand this to.
You’d rather deal with a problem in the first week than in the sixth month.
It’s not for you if
You manage a team inside a larger company with its own HR. Follow your company’s process.
It’s already a legal matter: a lawyer’s letter, an agency charge, a lawsuit. Call an employment attorney today.
A union contract sets your discipline steps. The contract comes first.
Your business is outside the United States.
30day refund
Use it on the problem in front of you.
Read the method. Pick the script. Have the conversation, and fill in the record that night. If Firm & Fair doesn’t help, email support@getfirmfair.com within 30 days for a full refund. No questions, and you keep the files.
Questions owners ask first
My state is at-will. Why bother with paper?
In almost every state, employment is “at will”: you can end it for any reason that isn’t an illegal one, with or without these steps, unless a contract or a written promise says otherwise. So in most places the law doesn’t require the path. You follow it because it shows what the real reason was. If someone later says you let them go because of their age or because they complained, the question becomes what actually happened, and a dated trail of conversations, warnings and chances answers that far better than your memory can.
That’s from Part 1 of the Playbook. The same goes for an unemployment claim: the state asks you why they left, and Part 3 shows you how to answer.
Does it work in my state?
The conversations and the records are written for US workplaces in general. What changes from state to state is mostly the end of a job: when the final paycheck is due, which notices you hand over, and how to answer an unemployment claim. Part 3 has a row for every state and DC, with links to the official pages, checked October 3, 2026.
Is this legal advice?
No. Firm & Fair gives you practical wording and a process: what to say, what to write down, and when to stop and get advice before a step that could turn into a claim. It doesn’t know your facts, and your state’s rules can differ. For a specific situation, talk to an employment attorney licensed in your state. Many business insurance policies include an HR or legal helpline, so check yours.
You can, and some are fine. A blank form won’t tell you what to say when they say you’re singling them out, what never to say, or that a write-up the week after a complaint is the moment to get advice first.
Firm & Fair is the conversation, the record and that judgment, written to work together.
Owner Edition or Team Edition?
Get the Owner Edition if you handle employee problems yourself. Get the Team Edition if shift leads, managers or foremen handle some of them, or if your crew reads Spanish: it adds a 60-minute training to get them on the same method, the 9 records your employees sign in Spanish too, and use with up to 10 supervisors or locations in one business.
If you start with the Owner Edition, the thank-you page and a follow-up email offer the Team Edition for the difference in price.
Is any of it in Spanish?
Yes, two parts. The Policy Pack has every rule in English and Spanish, plus a bilingual acknowledgment form. The Team Edition adds Spanish versions of the 9 records your employees sign: the conversation record, the written warning and the final written warning, the performance improvement plan, the suspension letter, the three termination letters and the resignation acceptance letter.
The Playbook, the scripts and the Quick Cards are in English.
How do I get it?
Right after checkout. The confirmation page has a download button for each part, and your confirmation email has the same links. There’s no account to create and nothing to install.
What formats are the files?
PDF, Word (.docx) and PowerPoint (.pptx). The Playbook comes as a print edition (8.5 × 11 in) and a phone edition. The Paper Trail templates are editable Word files, each with a PDF. The Quick Cards are a PDF sized for your phone. The Team Edition’s slide deck is PowerPoint, with a PDF copy.
No software, no app, no login.
Can my business pay for it?
Yes. It’s a business purchase: pay with the company card, and your confirmation email is the receipt. Ask your accountant how to book it.
What if it isn’t right for me?
Email support@getfirmfair.com within 30 days of your order and we’ll refund you in full. No questions, no forms, and you keep the files. Refund policy
Who’s behind Firm & Fair?
A small business, selling to small businesses. No sales calls, no subscription, no account. Questions go to support@getfirmfair.com, and we answer within 1–2 business days.
For the rest, don’t take our word for it: read a script above and open the sample pages. The rest of the Playbook follows the same shape. Where the law comes into it, the Playbook says so and points you to an official source or an attorney instead of guessing. And if it isn’t what you expected, the refund takes one email, for 30 days.
Do you sell outside the United States?
Yes, you can buy it from anywhere. The guidance is written for US workplaces, so outside the US, check it against your local rules.
Owner Edition $197 · Team Edition $297 · 30-day refund, keep the files
Not ready yet?
Take Script 1 with you.
The complete first conversation as a PDF to keep, and the full contents of the Playbook. Then four short emails over eleven days: two more hard conversations, the four moves behind every script, and what’s in the full Playbook.
