Employment and HRLetter
Employee written warning letter template
Put a conduct or performance warning in writing, fairly: what happened and when, the standard expected, the support offered, how long the warning stays on file, and how to appeal. The employee signs to acknowledge receipt.
Opens in the Salsox editor with 4 signing fields already placed for Manager and Employee. Add their emails and send. The free plan sends 3 documents a month.
Who signs
- Manager (you)
- Employee
Preview
Written Warning
24 October 2026Dear Ryan Cooper,
Re: first written warning
This letter confirms the outcome of the meeting held on 21 October 2026 about your role as Customer Service Advisor. You attended with Jess Patel, a colleague.
What happened
The concern discussed was arriving late for shifts on 2, 9 and 16 October 2026, by between 25 and 40 minutes, without notifying your manager before the shift began, as the attendance policy requires. At the meeting, you explained that your bus route had changed and that you had not yet adjusted your journey.
Outcome
Having considered your explanation, I have decided to issue you with a first written warning.
What we expect
From now on, please arrive in time to start each shift as scheduled, and if you will be late, call the team lead before the shift starts.
Support
To help, we will provide a change of your start time from 8:00 to 8:30 for the next three months, as you requested, while you settle the new route.
Review and duration
We will review progress over three months, until 24 January 2027. This warning will stay on your file and be taken into account for six months, after which it will be disregarded for disciplinary purposes.
If the required improvement is not made, or the issue happens again during that time, the next step may be a final written warning.
Your right to appeal
You may appeal against this warning by writing to Nadia Hussain, HR Business Partner by 31 October 2026, explaining your reasons.
Yours sincerely,
Signature · ManagerLaura Bennett, Customer Service Team Lead
Acknowledgement of receipt
I confirm I have received this letter. Signing confirms receipt only, not agreement with its contents.
Signature: Signature · Employee Date: Date · Employee Name: Name · Employee
These templates are general starting points, not legal advice. Laws differ between countries and states: check that a template suits your situation, or ask a lawyer, before you rely on it.
About the Employee written warning letter template
A written warning is part of a fair disciplinary or performance process: it tells the employee clearly what the problem is, what needs to change, and what happens if it does not, after they have had a chance to explain at a meeting. Done well, it is the step that most often fixes the problem.
This template records the facts with dates, the employee's explanation from the meeting, the standard expected, and the support the employer will give, which matters both for fairness and for whether the change is realistic. It states the level of warning, how long it stays active, what the next step would be, and how to appeal.
The employee signs only to acknowledge receipt, not agreement, and the letter says so. Many countries' laws or codes of practice set out what a fair disciplinary process involves, such as a meeting, the right to be accompanied and the right to appeal; follow your own policy and the law where the employee works.
- Signers
- 2
- Signing fields placed
- 4
- Details to fill in
- 17
How to use this template
Open it in Salsox
Choose Use this template. Sign up free if you have no account; the template opens straight after.
Fill in the details
Type your details into each blank, or start from the sample to see how it reads. Save it as your own template to reuse it.
Add signers and send
The editor already has every signature, date and initials field in place. Add each signer's email and send; they sign on their phone, and everyone gets the sealed copy with its audit trail.
Used in
Questions
Does the employee have to sign the warning?
No. Their signature only confirms they received it, and the letter states that signing is not agreement. If they decline, the delivery record shows it was sent.
How long does a written warning last?
As your policy says, commonly six months for a first written warning and twelve for a final one. After that it should no longer be counted.
Can the employee respond in writing?
Yes. They may appeal, and they may also send comments to be kept on file with the warning.
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Send it for signature in minutes
Start from this template in Salsox: fill in the blanks, add your signers and send by email, WhatsApp or SMS. Signers sign one field at a time on their phone, and you can collect a payment in the same step.