How To Give An Employee Warning (With Template)

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Summary. An employee warning is an official way for an organization to inform an employee that their conduct is not up to the organization’s standards. This can be either in regard to low performance or to other behavior that violates the code of conduct, such as altercations with other employees or excessive absenteeism.

Warnings are a way for an organization to inform an employee that their conduct isn’t meeting the organization’s standards and that changes need to be made in order to continue their employment. It also gives the employee a chance to argue their case and request an accommodation or to clarify an issue.

Key Takeaways:

A verbal warning is typically given before a written one. Most organizations will offer an additional written warning before disciplining them further, up to termination.
When writing a warning letter, it’s important to gather evidence; be as specific as possible about the incident; follow the rules of the organization; issue it promptly; and have a conversation with the employee about the problem.
It’s important to listen to your employee when issuing a written warning. You shouldn’t be strictly negative, either, if you genuinely want the employee to continue working for you. It’s important to come up with a way to improve the situation instead.

What Is an Employee Warning?

An employee warning is a disciplinary action that management can take when an employee’s behavior or performance is problematic. Warnings are meant to serve as a way to highlight a behavioral or performance issue and make it clear it won’t be tolerated.

Ideally, a warning is meant to serve as a chance for the employee to correct the problem. The employee is also allowed to plead their case in case you’ve received incorrect or incomplete information.

Warnings traditionally progress in a certain order:

Verbal warning.
Written warning.
Second written warning.
Disciplinary action.
Termination.

How to Give a Written Warning

A written warning is typically given after a verbal warning has already been received. If the employee persists in the behavior or their performance hasn’t improved, then a written warning is issued. There are legal and company requirements that go into issuing a warning, so they need to be issued correctly.

While Zippia can’t offer legal advice, we can recommend a method to follow. Here is the typical way a written warning is given.

Give a verbal warning. There are exceptions to this rule if their conduct is especially egregious. Infractions such as theft, threats, or physical altercations can go directly to a written warning – or even direct disciplinary action.

That being said, a verbal warning is usually the first notice that an employee gets. Make sure to document when the warning was given and what it was about, as the verbal warning should be mentioned in a written warning if you’re forced to follow up.
Gather evidence. It’s important to understand as much as you can about the situation before giving a warning. A written warning should be given promptly, so the investigation needn’t be too detailed, but, for instance, if multiple parties are involved, you should talk to the other people who were present.

Even if you witness the incident, it’s a good idea to do a bit more information gathering before writing your written warning. There can be additional information that you don’t have, such as miscommunication or extenuating circumstances.
Check the organization’s code. Before giving out a warning, it’s important to know that the employee’s conduct actually violates the organization’s code of conduct. You should also know the exact order of disciplinary action that the organization outlines so that you can follow it properly.

It’s important to be consistent with following the organization’s rules to prevent accusations of unfair or discriminatory treatment. Of course, there will be times when you have to make a judgment call, but be sure to use the organization’s code of conduct as your guide as much as possible.
Determine if it’s your responsibility to issue the warning. Depending on the size of the organization you work for and your professional relationship with the employee, it may not be your responsibility to issue the warning. Typically that is done by an employee’s direct supervisor, but the line isn’t always clear.
Be specific in the warning. When writing the warning, it’s important to be quite specific. You should include dates, names, the behavior in question, and references to any previous warnings or disciplinary actions taken.
Meet with the employee privately. It’s important to meet with the employee in private when giving a warning. It’s also important to meet with them in person (if at all possible) so there’s a much lower possibility for miscommunication or the employee being able to claim that they didn’t receive the warning.

It’s likely that the employee will be defensive, but you’re much more likely to be able to have a dialogue with them if you aren’t doing it in front of their coworkers, not to mention the fact that that would be poor leadership skills.
Give them a copy of the written warning. Make sure that they receive a copy of the warning. That will allow them to reference it later and give them a chance to go over it later. Also, if they have a copy, it makes it essentially impossible to claim that they never received the warning or didn’t understand it.

There should also be a place on the warning for the employee to sign to show that they received and understood the warning. Have them sign it. If they refuse, it may be acceptable to have a third party sign it as a witness to show that the warning was received by the employee.
Issue the warning promptly. While it’s important to gather evidence and write the warning up properly, you don’t want to drag your feet. The sooner you deliver the written warning, the better. It’ll allow more time for the employee to correct the behavior and will prevent the problematic conduct from going on longer.

Also, people’s memory can fade or change with time. If you wait weeks or months before issuing the warning, people’s recollections of the event will have changed or become fuzzy, making it much more difficult to pin down what exactly happened and how to correct it.
Allow them to plead their case. The issuing of a warning shouldn’t just be you talking. Give the employee a chance to explain what happened and why. In the case of an argument or dispute with another employee, you may only be getting one side of the story.

If it’s a performance issue, there may be other forces at play in the employee’s life that are affecting their work. This may or may not be something you can help with, but it might be a circumstance where the employee should receive some grace – or even leave.

In addition, it may be advisable to allow the employee to offer a written response as well to add to their personnel file. That can give more context to the issue if it ends up coming up again.
Suggest ways to help the employee improve. It’s important to not simply tell them what they’re doing wrong. There should be both some positive aspects, as well as suggestions and offers for help to resolve the issue. You can suggest mediation if it’s a conflict, for instance. Or training or assistance if their productivity is suffering.
Outline the following disciplinary steps. Remember to outline what the future disciplinary steps will be if the employee fails to improve. This should be based on what the organization’s code of conduct lays out. That will allow the employee to know how much time they have to make improvements and what to expect if they can’t.

Written Warning Templates

If you’re unsure of how to lay out an employee warning, then we have a template to help make it easier. Remember that layouts vary from company to company, but certain information should be included in the written warning.

Here are a few basic templates of written warnings:

[Company Name]
Employee Name:
Job Title:
Supervisor Name:

[Date]

Dear [Employee]

Over the past [timeframe], I have had concerns about your job performance. Specifically, [lay out specific examples of times when their job performance has been unsatisfactory. Be sure to be as specific as possible in listing incidents and dates.]
It has come to my attention that you [insert policy violation here] on [date]. The incident was reported by several coworkers and is a direct violation of our code of conduct.

[Depending on the nature of the issue, you may also give the name of someone else directly involved. If, for example, it was an altercation between two employees or if they were yelling at someone specific.]
- Infraction 1: Explanation
- Infraction 2: Explanation (if applicable)
- Infraction 3: Explanation (if applicable)

[When listing the infractions, make sure to list the exact times that the employee violated the code of conduct or failed in their performance:]

A verbal warning was given on [date] in regard to [infraction].

If your [performance doesn’t improve OR you continue to violate the company policy], then the company will be forced to take further disciplinary action. The actions taken will be escalated according to company policy in the following order:

[You should list out what the consequences are for further violations of the company’s policy.]

We would prefer to resolve this issue and continue your professional relations as a [job title] at [company], so we will do whatever we can to help you [improve your performance OR resolve the issue].

[Be sure to include a space for the supervisor’s signature and a clause that the employee has received and understood the written warning. Both you and the employee should sign and date the document.]

Employee Warning FAQ

Do employers have to give a verbal warning before issuing a written one?

No, employers aren’t required to give a verbal warning before a written one. Typically, a verbal warning is less severe than a written one and is given first as notice to the employee that their behavior is problematic. However, how discipline is handled is up to the manager and the organization’s policy.
Is there a set number of warnings you have to give an employee before termination?

In the majority of cases, no, there aren’t any required warnings to be given to an employee before termination. If the employment is at will, then the employee can be let go at any time for any reason. If there’s an employment contract or a union agreement, then there will be further requirements.

Some states will have labor laws that affect the ability to terminate an employee without cause or warning. Be sure to check local laws before taking disciplinary action.
Is a warning letter and a PIP the same thing?

A PIP, which stands for a performance improvement plan, isn’t the same as a written warning. That being said, if the written warning is for failures in performance, then it’s not uncommon that a PIP will be given along with the written warning.

PIPs are focused on what the area of performance is that needs improvement and how to go about doing that. Not every warning about performance will include a PIP, and some managers will only include one if the employee’s performance continues not to improve.
What’s the best way to deliver a written warning to an employee?

Ideally, a written warning should be given in person. However, a warning can also be sent over email, as long as you have a way of making sure that the employee received and understood it. In that case, you may also send it to them via email after discussing it with them in a meeting.

References

Society of Human Resources Management – 13 Ways to Improve Written Warnings and Manage Employees Better

Performance Review

Author

Di Doherty

Di has been a writer for more than half her life. Most of her writing so far has been fiction, and she’s gotten short stories published in online magazines Kzine and Silver Blade, as well as a flash fiction piece in the Bookends review. Di graduated from Mary Baldwin College (now University) with a degree in Psychology and Sociology.