As supervisors, managers are responsible for organizing and dividing functions among workers so that the necessary tasks are carried out. A warning is needed when a manager notices that one of the employees is not performing their duties properly.
A warning letter is the best way to warn an employee about inappropriate behavior or poor performance. Read on to find out how to rescue this type of warning letter properly.
What is the purpose of a warning letter for poor performance?
These letters are given to workers whose performance has been unfavorable for an extended period, also those who have exhibited inappropriate behavior towards co-workers or supervisors.
Everyone has been through a rough patch, but that does not justify poor job performance. The decline in a worker’s productivity can affect the fulfillment of other employees’ activities, with repercussions on the company’s productivity.
This type of letter is a formal and official communication that the employee’s negative behavior has been noticed by his supervisors, and he is informed that, if he does not change his performance, there will be consequences such as dismissal.
Warning letters are usually sent after direct and verbal communication has taken place to get the employee’s attention and obtain changes in behavior that the employee ignored.
The warning letter must be served to and signed by the employee in case the verbal warnings are disregarded and the offensive performance continues. The signed copy is filed as evidence that the employee received the letter’s message and of their commitment to making favorable changes within a period. Failure to do so may result in dismissal.
It is up to the human resources personnel or supervisor to decide how many warning letters to send to the employee before acting. Generally, two warnings, in addition to the verbal warning, are offered before termination or retaliation is executed.
How long can the warning letter be?
The length of the body of the letter will vary, as it depends on the situation for which the employee is being warned.
It will also depend on whether the letter includes extensive information regarding the type of retaliation the employee may receive. Generally, the letter can be one to three pages long, depending on its content.
How to write a warning letter correctly
The general format of these letters is fairly straightforward. It should not be a complicated task for human resources personnel.
As a formal letter, it is suggested that all text be aligned to the left side of the page. Generally, the company letterhead should be placed at the top of the page.
It begins with the information of the recipient of the letter, in this case, the employee whose redemption is unfavorable. Their name, position, employee identification number, and the company’s name should be added.
Then the information of the sender of the letter is positioned, in this case, the supervisor or human resources coordinator, followed by the date and the subject of the letter.
Immediately, the body of the letter begins with a formal greeting to the employee and proceeds to develop the message, detailing their work history and the current problems the worker represents.
It is necessary to specify what their actions have been and what the consequences will be if there is no change. In the same way, it would be best to identify what tools will be implemented to promote their improvement in a specific period.
To conclude the letter, the last paragraph could be about the expectations regarding improving the employee’s behavior and performance.
Close the letter with a farewell and a request for signature to confirm that the employee has received the letter.
After signing, a copy of the letter should be made and divided between the parties. The company keeps the original, and the employee keeps the copy. Here is an example to guide you and even use it as a format.