A warning letter is an official communication between an employee and their employer. In some cases, the teacher or principal of an institute also issues a written warning to the student. Different situations call for a written warning. One of the most common situations is when a person fails to maintain discipline, and the company decides to take disciplinary action against him.
What is a warning letter for disciplinary action?
This type of warning letter is drafted due to discipline on the employee’s part. Through this letter, the employer or supervisor can discuss the entire matter with the employee and convey whatever he expects from him in the future.
Why is it essential to write a deterrent letter?
Every organization takes some corrective measures to correct the behavior of those workers who indulge themselves in any kind of misconduct. A company can’t dismiss all the people from a job because of misconduct. So, it keeps writing forewarnings to them to ask them to correct their behavior. People who don’t want to lose their jobs often take this warning letter seriously and try not to show any misconduct in the future. This way, the company corrects the behavior of people.
What is the primary purpose of writing the warning?
When there is a discipline issue, things can go south. Sometimes, lack of discipline produces so much disorder that the employer has to show his involvement and take control of the situation. The purpose of the written warning is to ensure that things are under control and that the person who has breached the company’s policy has been taken to task.
Some companies also prefer verbal warnings. However, this does not always work. In some cases, verbal criticism does not lead to fruitful results. So, to achieve the desired outcomes, the employer writes the warning down in a letter.
What are the main components of the warning letter?
The main elements of this letter are:
Details of the employee:
Mention the name, designation in the company, unique employee number, and other details at the start of the letter so there is no confusion about who is being addressed.
Violation Description:
This warning is always issued as a result of the violation. So, when a company policy is breached, there is a need to address that breach. For an employee, the breach may not be serious. But the company might consider it too offensive. The violation description brings everyone on the same page and lets the employee know about the employer’s perspective.
Corrective measure plan:
Some companies try to teach employees what corrective measures they can take to escape this situation. If you have a plan, include it in the letter.
How do you write the disciplinary action warning letter?
The employer must adhere to some basic steps while writing the warning letter. These steps are discussed below:
Use the letterhead of your company:
When an employee receives a warning from official sources, he can understand the seriousness of the matter. Officials always issue a warning written on letterhead, which has more value. Whenever you want to write a warning, use your company’s letterhead.
State the issue:
A warning letter always discusses the company’s issue with the employee. Since this letter is written for disciplinary action, it must discuss the employee’s incorrect behavior. If the employee misbehaved and showed unprofessional behavior, you must reference that situation.
Discuss outcomes:
There are always unpleasant outcomes to misconduct on the employee’s part, depending on the seriousness of the misconduct. Whether the violation of disciplinary rules is less offensive or severe, the warning letter should always address the disciplinary actions the company can take to correct the employee’s behavior.
Sample Letters
#1
This letter serves as an official warning regarding your repeated unapproved absences from work. Such absences disrupt departmental workflow and increase your colleagues’ workload.
Over the past month, you have been absent from work on three occasions without prior notice or approval. This is a clear violation of our attendance policy. You must seek prior approval for any absences except during emergencies. Therefore, you must attend a disciplinary meeting with the management on Monday, October 21st, at 10 am.
Please treat this matter seriously and ensure compliance with office policies in the future to avoid stricter action.
#2
I am addressing an essential concern regarding your behavior during our team meetings. You show a non-serious attitude during our discussions and do not participate. At the same time, your off-topic comments distract the whole team.
As a result, you will be facing disciplinary action. Effective immediately, you are banned from all team meetings for the month of November. Instead, you will be emailed a summary of the meeting for task assignments. We would like you to take this time to reflect on your behavior and find ways to improve it. However, if you continue to show the same careless attitude during future meetings, we will be compelled to take stricter action.
Please take this warning seriously and work hard to improve your focus and participation in teamwork.
#3
This letter serves as a formal warning against your failure to follow instructions. You have been showing a non-cooperative attitude towards your team and refusing to follow your team leader’s instructions. This is a clear violation of the company’s policies.
After careful consideration, management has decided to suspend you for the next three days, from 13 October 13th to October 15th. In addition, you are required to attend a mandatory behavioral training program once you return to work.
Any further insubordination or unprofessional attitude at work may result in termination. Therefore, you are advised to take this warning seriously and immediately change your work attitude.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
#4
Date:
Name of employee
Address of employee
Re: Warning for Disciplinary Action on [X]
Dear (Name of employee),
This letter will give you an official warning for the incident on (date).
We were told about the incident, and this misconduct is against our work ethics. (State what the employee did.) Our company’s policy (give the name of the policy) states that disciplinary action will be taken due to this misconduct.
The company’s policy and guidelines aim to create a good workplace environment, and we expect all employees to respect this.
You have been violating the rules, so this warning has been sent to you. If this violation occurs again, action will be taken.
Sincerely,
Your Name
Title
Signature
File: Word (.docx) 2007+ and iPad
Size 12 KB
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