So bear in mind that, while warning letters can act as reminders in general, verbal warning letters are more of a must. In this situation, verbal warning letters must conform closer to the premise that they are intended to remind recipients of whatever material was communicated previous to the letter's delivery. These letters cannot be considered legal actions; rather, they are meant to encourage compliance with company policy. In order for verbal warning letters to be effective, they must include all of the necessary information. For example, if an employee asks why he or she is being given a verbal warning, then the employer should provide an answer. The best time to give a verbal warning is immediately following an incident when there is still time to correct the problem before it causes further damage to relationships within the organization. It is also important that employees know exactly what behavior will result in them being given a verbal warning so that they can take steps to avoid such a consequence. For example, if an employee does not understand why he or she has been given a verbal warning, then this lack of clarity could lead to further problems down the road. Employers should try to give verbal warnings face-to-face so that there are no questions about what was said. However, if this is not possible, then employers should make sure that employees receive written notice of any issues that need to be corrected before they cause further harm to relationships within the organization.