What's in this template?
This Annual Performance Review template gives Australian healthcare practices a structured, two-way review of staff performance over the past 12 months and a clear plan for the year ahead. It is designed to support constructive performance management under the Fair Work Act 2009 and to avoid the most common general protections traps — adverse action linked to a protected attribute, or pretextual performance management.
The template covers 10 sections:
- Rating scale — five-point scale with explicit descriptors
- Employee self-assessment — completed in advance of the meeting
- Goals review — previous year's goals, outcomes, and learnings
- Performance ratings (manager) — 12 criteria, each requiring a specific example
- Discussion summary — strengths, development areas, new scope
- Professional development and CPD plan — clinical CPD plus non-clinical development
- Position description and award check — annual refresh against current responsibilities and fairwork.gov.au
- Wellbeing check-in — workload, relationships, EAP awareness
- Goals for the year ahead — three to five SMART-style goals
- Overall outcome and sign-off — including counter-signature from senior manager or practice principal
Editable placeholder fields
{{practice_name}},{{abn}},{{employee_name}},{{position_title}},{{award_classification}}{{reviewer_name}},{{review_period_from}},{{review_period_to}},{{meeting_date}}- Signature blocks for employee, reviewing manager, and senior manager / practice principal
Why annual reviews matter in healthcare
A documented annual review does five things:
- Sets clear performance expectations anchored to the position description
- Surfaces issues early while they are coachable rather than disciplinary
- Plans CPD in line with Ahpra registration standards for clinical staff
- Updates the position description and award classification annually — the single most common Fair Work Ombudsman audit finding is incorrect award classification
- Defends the practice if a performance dispute or capacity question arises later — a two-way, signed review with specific examples is the strongest evidence
Why the general protections matter for performance reviews
Under Part 3-1 of the Fair Work Act 2009, an employer must not take "adverse action" against an employee because of a protected attribute (race, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, pregnancy, family or carer's responsibilities, religion, political opinion, national extraction, social origin) or because the employee has exercised a workplace right (made a complaint, raised a safety concern, refused unsafe work, taken leave).
Performance management is adverse action. It is lawful when it is based on capability and behaviour. It is unlawful when it is motivated by, or is a pretext for, action linked to a protected attribute or workplace right. Two practical implications for annual reviews:
- Never reference a protected attribute in a performance discussion. "Your performance has slipped since you returned from parental leave" — even if factually accurate — creates an immediate adverse action issue. Reference the performance directly: "Documentation accuracy has dropped from X% to Y% over the past three months."
- Document specific behaviour, not character. Behaviour can be evidenced and tested. Character cannot. Behaviour can be coached. Character cannot.
The template's column structure forces a specific example next to every rating. That structure is the defence.
Who needs this template?
Every Australian healthcare practice that employs staff. The template suits:
- General practices, day procedure clinics, and specialist medical practices
- Allied health practices — physiotherapy, podiatry, psychology, optometry, dental
- NDIS providers — pairs cleanly with NDIS Practice Standards Core Module 1 worker supervision requirements
- Pharmacies, pathology, and diagnostic imaging providers
- Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations
- Aged care providers, private hospitals, and community health services
How to customise this template
- Download and replace every
{{placeholder}}with the employee's and practice details - Issue the self-assessment sections to the employee at least one week before the meeting — annual reviews work best when both parties have prepared
- Tailor the rating criteria in section 4 to the role — clinical roles may add criteria for diagnostic accuracy, technical skill, or handover quality; administrative roles may add scheduling, billing accuracy, or system maintenance
- Hold the meeting in a private space — at least 60 to 90 minutes, free from interruptions
- Frame all feedback in behaviour and capability — avoid character judgements and never reference a protected attribute
- Confirm the position description still describes the role in section 7 — update if material responsibilities have changed
- Verify the modern award classification in section 7 against fairwork.gov.au — classifications change as roles evolve
- File the signed review in the personnel file. Provide a copy to the employee. Diary the next review date.
Pay reviews and modern award rates
This template does not embed pay rates — they change every 1 July in the Fair Work Commission Annual Wage Review. Use the position description and award check section to confirm the employee's classification, then look up the current minimum rate on fairwork.gov.au. If the practice pays above award, perform the Better Off Overall Test (BOOT) annually to confirm the over-award rate still satisfies the test once allowances, penalty rates, and loadings are factored in.
For Health Professionals Award classifications, look up the current rate at fairwork.gov.au under "Health Professionals and Support Services Award 2020 (MA000027)". For SCHADS, use "Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award 2010 (MA000100)". For nurses in private practice, use "Nurses Award 2020 (MA000034)".
Related templates and tools
- Position Description Template — refreshed during section 7 of the annual review
- Probation Review Form — the on-ramp to the first annual review
- Staff Orientation and Induction Checklist — the 12-month anniversary triggers the first annual review
- Workplace Bullying, Harassment and Sexual Harassment Policy — relevant if any wellbeing issues surface in section 8
- Flexible Working Arrangement Request Form — referenced if the employee raises flexible work in the review
- Staff Offboarding and Exit Checklist — used if an employee resigns after the review
Frequently asked questions
Are annual performance reviews legally required?
No specific statute requires them, but the Fair Work Commission, in unfair dismissal and general protections cases, consistently treats documented performance reviews as relevant evidence. The absence of any documented review when a performance-based dismissal is challenged is a meaningful evidentiary gap.
How long should the meeting take?
Allow 60 to 90 minutes for a substantive review. Anything shorter than 45 minutes is usually a check-in rather than a review. Senior or complex roles may take 2 hours.
Should ratings be averaged or scored?
No — the rating scale is a tool for structured discussion, not a numerical performance score to be calculated. Averaging ratings invites disputes about half-points and obscures the underlying conversation. Keep the ratings qualitative, with examples next to each rating.
What if the employee disagrees with a rating?
Document the disagreement in the comments column or in the employee comments section at the end. Disagreement is not a problem — it is exactly what the review is for. The signature block confirms the employee has received and seen the review, not that they agree with every line.
Do casual employees get an annual review?
Best practice is yes for any casual with a regular, ongoing engagement (a "regular casual"). For purely irregular casuals, a check-in conversation may be more proportionate.
Should we cover salary in the annual review?
The annual review is the natural prompt to look at pay, but most practices handle the pay conversation as a separate, follow-up discussion. This keeps the performance conversation focused on capability rather than transactional. Always confirm the current award minimum rate on fairwork.gov.au before discussing pay.
What is a "performance improvement plan" and when is it required?
A performance improvement plan (PIP) is a formal, written plan that documents specific performance concerns, expectations for improvement, support being provided, and a clear review point. It is appropriate when performance is genuinely below the standard for the role. A PIP that follows an annual review documents both the issue and the support offered, which is a strong evidentiary position if the relationship later ends. PIPs warrant HR input and, where dismissal is foreseeable, legal input.
Can we link pay rises to the rating?
Yes, provided the methodology is transparent and applied consistently. Beware: a pattern of lower ratings for employees in a protected attribute group (older workers, female employees returning from parental leave, employees with disability) is a general protections issue regardless of how the ratings are calculated. Audit your rating distribution annually.
How long do we keep performance reviews?
At least 7 years after the end of employment under Fair Work Regulations 2009 r3.42 (employee records). Some practices keep them longer alongside other personnel records.