PIP redaction is the removal of identifiers from a Performance Improvement Plan so the worker cannot be traced. A plan is the paper trail behind a capability dismissal, which Employment Rights Act 1996 section 98(2)(a) treats as a potentially fair reason and section 98(4) then tests for reasonableness. The ACAS Code of Practice on Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures covers poor performance as well as misconduct. anonym.plus marks each name on your device, so the goals and timeline stay clear while the person is hidden.
When this applies
An HR team studies plan outcomes to see whether managers run them fairly. You redact the worker's details first, so the sample clears Recital 26 before anyone reviews the pattern.
How anonym.plus handles it
- Open the plan in anonym.plus on your device.
- Built-in OCR reads a scanned, signed page.
- The app marks the worker and the line manager.
- Confirm the markings and keep the milestone dates.
- Swap each name for a neutral label.
- Save the cleaned copy locally.
What you need to provide
- The plan (PDF, DOCX, or scan).
- An operator (Replace keeps goals readable).
- Optional alias map, OFF for true anonymity.
PII entity types detected
| Category | anonym.plus entity type | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Names | PERSON | Sam Reed → [WORKER] |
| Names | PERSON | manager K. Frey → [MANAGER] |
| Contact | EMAIL_ADDRESS | s.reed@example.co.uk → [EMAIL] |
| Dates | DATE_TIME | review 06/2025 → [DATE] |
| Org | ORGANIZATION | Support Desk → [TEAM] |
| Location | LOCATION | Cardiff office → [SITE] |
Compliance achieved
- Keeps the capability record that Employment Rights Act 1996 s.98(2)(a) and s.98(4) are judged on.
- Reflects the fair-process steps in the ACAS Code of Practice on Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures, which a tribunal can use to adjust an award by up to 25% under TULRCA 1992 s.207A.
- Flags where Equality Act 2010 s.20 reasonable adjustments and s.15 should have come before a plan was opened.
- Preserves the accompaniment record under Employment Relations Act 1999 s.10. Offline, with AES-256-GCM at rest.
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Limitations & cautions
A plan often describes one specific incident in detail. That unique event can re-identify the worker after the name goes. Generalise the narrative when you share it widely.
Frequently asked questions
Why can a redacted plan still identify someone?
Because it may describe a unique event only one person lived. Recital 26 asks whether anyone can be singled out, so generalise such details.
Does the ACAS Code cover poor performance, not just misconduct?
Yes. The Code applies to disciplinary situations, and it treats poor performance as one of them. An unreasonable failure to follow it lets a tribunal adjust compensation by up to 25% under section 207A of TULRCA 1992.
Should disability be considered before a PIP starts?
Yes, if you know or ought to know of it. Section 20 of the Equality Act 2010 imposes a duty to make reasonable adjustments, and section 15 covers unfavourable treatment because of something arising from the disability. A PIP that ignores both is fragile.
Does anonymising a PIP affect unfair-dismissal duties?
No. Redacting a copy for analysis is separate from the live process. The ACAS Code and the Employment Rights Act 1996 still govern how the original plan is handled with the worker.