Letter to Employee – Verbal Warning Regarding Unacceptable Conduct or Performance

Verbal warning template letter confirming that a verbal warning has been issued to an employee regarding unacceptable conduct or performance in the workplace.

Letter to Employee – Verbal Warning Regarding Unacceptable Conduct or Performance

When poor performance or misconduct warrants disciplinary action, as an employer, the first step in the formal discipline process is to issue a verbal warning to an employee. The intention of giving a verbal warning is to guide the employee’s awareness of their conduct or performance and make suggestions for improvement.

Whilst this initial step is called a verbal warning, the verbal warning needs to be documented in a letter, preferably with the employee’s acknowledgement signature, and placed on the employee’s file for a specified period of time.

What to include in the letter?

Documenting a verbal warning via a letter holds a lot of importance to ensure that the employee takes the matter seriously and make efforts to improve. The letter simply reminds the employee of what areas they must focus their attention on and what needs to be done to avoid any further consequences.

The motive of sending a verbal warning letter is to clarify policies, procedures and expectations. Include the impact of the incident or violation of the poor performance.  It is important to keep a record of the conversation that occurred between the manager and the employee regarding the issue. The letter should highlight the expected standards of behaviour or performance at work.

Key Points

• Include the purpose of the letter
• Detail the findings from any allegations discussed
• Describe the impact of their actions on the company
• Outline any company policies and the expectation regarding the issue
• Include the area of improvements and the timeline for improvement
• include the likely consequence if the behaviour or action is not improved

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