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That stuff builds up over years so that when management decides they want you out, HR has years and years of in writing marks against you to demonstrate that it's not wrongful termination.

In the last firm I was at, we got written evaluations twice a year. I never recall anybody ever getting a single positive phrase about them as a person or an employee. They were always one hundred percent negative.

I got promoted three times despite my God awful evaluations.

But when I crossed the wrong person, all those years came out and I had been an unacceptable employee for the duration of my time there.

Fortunately, my direct manager gave me the heads up so I was able to get another job before they were able to drop the hatchet. I never had to sign anything, never had to acknowledge anything, refused an exit interview, and scored an additional month's pay plus my annual profit sharing.

It was beautiful.

Usually it means a mark on your work record, pretty much like getting an F on a paper or something.

Just paperwork so the whales in the office feel like they do something.

It means nothing when you live in a "at will" employment jurisdiction.

In the past, (or in a union contract) employers had to prove they had "just cause" to fire you. This would be documentation of cause.