Written Warning Letter Template

Written warning letters are given to the employees of a firm due to various reasons that can include unsatisfactory performance, misconduct and cases of breaching several other authoritative restrictions in the office premises. There are certain incidents when an employee is not following the norms, rules and workplace ethics of the firm in which he is working. This can be intentional or due to unawareness of the organizational culture of the firm.

However, no employee is expected to be so unaware as to show serious issues of misconduct that are stretched over a long period, causing loss to the company. This is where the role of human resource management is crucial as someone needs to warn the employee before the employee creates a problem for the various teammates. A written warning letter template specifies the exact cause of warning and is indirectly a signal for the employee, that if he/she is not going to amend his/her ways, the company will be compelled to throw him/her out of the firm.

Reasons for Writing a Warning Letter
A written warning letter is given to the employees in one of the several cases that are as follows

• Unprofessional conduct that is against the rules of the firm.
• Insubordination.
• Verbal arguments leading to the use of abusive language.
• Continuous or frequent absenteeism without genuine reasons.
• Successive failure to inform the concerned authority for leaves, for a long duration of time.
• Not respecting the management policies.

Tips on Adding Content in Warning Letter
Some tips on writing effective content in warning letters are as mentioned below.

Mention The Facts Correctly
Start the warning letter by mentioning the exact cause of the problem. For example, if the employee has been found to be misbehaving for over a couple of weeks or days, you can begin the letter like "This written letter is a warning for your misconduct in the office premises during working hours. Over the past three weeks, the supervisor and three colleagues have complained about your misconduct. The management has dealt with the matter with full concern and has found you to be guilty of breaking the rules on which this organizations runs". Give a clear and exact cause of the warning letter.

Be Specific
Try to be specific and mention the exact incidents with focus on dates, facts and the person/people involved. In case, you are not aware of the dates and other factors, do mention the issue that the person has created with respect to the code of conduct in the office premises. As a reminder, mention the policies of the firm that the employee has not followed. Any previous warnings (that would have been given in meetings) must be mentioned and the person must be made to realize that this warning letter is more than a piece of paper.

List The Expectations From The Employee
In this paragraph, you can mention what is expected from the employee as per the rules and regulations of the firm. It is imperative to highlight areas where the employee has breached the code of conduct established by the firm. The employee also needs to be reminded of his or her past credibility including other achievements (if any). Moreover, it is equally important to make the employee understand that misbehavior or breach of rules can hamper the collective performance of the team thereby hampering growth of the company. Dealing with the employee who is guilty of some misconduct, sensitively, is mandatory so that the employee does not feel completely discouraged.

Be Strict in Concluding
As a part to conclude the letter, give some time to the employee (known as a demonstration period). During the demonstration period, the employee is expected to strictly follow the guidelines of the company as all actions of the employee is under scrutiny of the employer. The employer must be very frank to mention to the employee that in case the employee is unable to make changes in his or her attitude, or is unwilling to work in the framework of rules established by the firm, the employer will be forced to terminate him/her from the job.

An Example
A written warning letter example is presented below that can be used as a sample when trying to write the same to an employee.

(Job Title) Project Manager
(Department) Infrastructure

From:
(Administrator or the Authority) Natasha Belinsky
(Job Title) Department Head

Date: 26/10/2009

Subject: Written Warning - Unsatisfactory Performance

This letter is a warning for your unsatisfactory performance over the past few months. The management and the reporting authorities have been closely monitoring your performance and it has been found through evaluation, that you have been unable to meet the targets allotted to you for the past 2 months. You have been previously informed about your frequent absenteeism and that has somewhere added to your lot of pending work. The projects given to you have been already extended by two weeks and this has indirectly cost substantial loss to the firm. It is in the best interest of the firm that you decide and give a proper explanation for the incomplete targets that have cost the firm dearly. Your professional conduct with respect to some of your junior colleagues has also been found to be domineering and difficult. Please be advised that further incidents of this nature are subject to strict disciplinary action and can even lead to the termination of your employment contract with us.

I acknowledge by my signature below that I have been given the opportunity to present my views and explanations and I am signing this review prior to it being placed in my personnel file.

Employee Name: John Doe
(Employee Signature)

Given below are the links to warning letter templates in a downloadable form. You may use either of the two warning letters as per your requirement.

• Written warning letter template 1
• Written warning letter template 2

A written warning letter is a necessary step in order to stop the employee from causing unnecessary disturbance in the office. There are various downloadable written warning letter samples online that you can use, in order to write a perfect written warning letter template. Many websites provide customized templates to deal with different reasons for issuance of warning letters to one or many employees.