A Warning Letter to an Employee is a formal business document warning an employee of their unacceptable behavior. An employee warning letter is a professional document that provides information regarding the unacceptable behavior, the date or dates of such behavior, and the consequence of the behavior. This is a critically important document for any business, as it provides backup in the case that an employee must be disciplined or terminated due to repeated infractions. Even verbal warnings should be recorded and filed.
Any employee who receives a written warning should be required to review the document with their supervisor or with human resources and sign, proving they have been given a copy of the warning. Written warnings should follow a company-wide procedure and format so there can be no question as to their authenticity. All warnings should be filed and maintained in the human resources department of a company.
Note: All employee warning letters should contain documentation about the reason for the warning. In many companies, warnings are written based on the particular item in the employee handbook that the employee’s behavior violated. When a company does not have an employee handbook, the basic rules of employment should be made clear when someone accepts a position with the company.
What to Include in Warning Letter to Employee
Here are the critical pieces of information to include in an employee warning:
- The number of times the employee has been warned in writing (First, Second, Third)
- If the employee has been verbally warned about this behavior
- The date or dates of the behavior
- The particular behavior the employee is being warned about
- The page number and title of the policy in the employee handbook
- The immediate consequence of the behavior
- The future consequence if the behavior is continued
- The date and signature of both the employee and the company representative
- Any comments the employee wants to add to the company’s copy
Warning Letter to Employee Format
{Employee Name}
{Workplace name and address}
{Date}
RE: {First, Second, or Third} Written Warning
This letter is to serve as a written warning to you for {behavior} on {date or dates}. This behavior is unacceptable, as outlined in {name of rule or policy, page number} of the employee handbook.
Our company policies have been carefully designed to ensure both safety and effective job performance at {company name}. We expect all employees to respect and follow the company policy documented in the employee handbook.
{Write immediate and long-term consequences of behavior here}.
If you have any questions or concerns, or need assistance, please contact me at {phone number} or by email at {email address}.
{Company representative signature}
{Company representative name}
{Employee Signature}
{Employee Name}
{Date}
Sample Warning Letter to Employee
Jacob Harrison
Allied Electronic Manufacturing
300 South 121 Street
April 22, 2032
RE: First Written Warning
This letter is to serve as a written warning to you for being late on March 1, March 2, March 22, March 23, April 1, and April 15. This behavior is inappropriate, as outlined in our attendance policy, on page 18 of the employee handbook.
Our company policies have been carefully designed to ensure both safety and effective job performance at Allied Electronic Manufacturing. We expect all employees to respect and follow the company policy documented in the employee handbook.
As you know, each day you are late is counted as 1/2 day absent without prior authorization. With a total of four days absent without prior authorization, an employee can be terminated without further notice. This letter notifies you that you have reached a total of three days of absence without prior authorization by arriving late to work.
If you have any questions or concerns, or need assistance, please contact me at 724-896-3442 or by email at harkenjess @ alliedelectronic . com
Jessica Harken
Warning Letter to Employee (Examples & Templates)
Being required to write an employee warning letter is unpleasant. When you are able to see a sample letter that demonstrates how a format can be used to create a perfect warning letter, the job is a bit less unpleasant. Feel free to use our basic format for your warning letters to employees.
Warning Letter to Employee for Unprofessional Behavior
- MS Word
Warning Letter to Employee for Poor Performance
- MS Word
Warning Letter to Employee for Misconduct
- MS Word
Warning Letter to Employee for Making Mistakes
- MS Word
Warning Letter to Employee for Absence
- MS Word
Employee Warning Letters
Employee warning letters are formal documents sent by the HR department in a company to an employee to caution them against poor performance, discipline, or misconduct. They mention the issue at hand, the punishments the employee may suffer, as well as future expectations in terms of behavior.
Employee Warning Forms
Employee warning forms are official documents used to warn employees of the consequences of their misconduct, poor performance, or indiscipline. They usually state what the employee did wrong, possible consequences, as well as what might follow after a repeat of the action.
Employee Disciplinary Letters
Employee disciplinary letters are formal documents sent to an employee to discuss the consequences of their improper performance or conduct in the workplace. Their purpose is to inform the employee of the course of action that will follow their breach of company policy.
Letters to Employee for Poor Performance
Employee warning letter for poor performance or behavior are messages sent to employees to address their unacceptable conduct. You can use them as a guide to format your own warning letter when mentioning the consequences of the employee’s actions.
Conclusion
Writing a warning letter to an employee is never a happy circumstance. It is, however, often necessary. These letters should be clear, concise, and above all, consistent. Having a specific, consistent format for employee written warnings is critical to proving an employee’s behavior has been consistently unacceptable if the employee must be terminated. In this case, it is important to be able to show that the employee was warned several times about their behavior and notified of the immediate and long-term consequences of their behavior.
