Written warnings are formal reprimands given to employees. The purpose of a disciplinary warning is to formally notify an employee of the formal disciplinary action taken against them. A disciplinary warning includes:
details of the disciplinary issue (eg describing the employee’s performance and why it is deemed unsatisfactory)
the steps taken by the employer to address the issue
what steps the employee should take to address the issue
the consequences of the employee failing to change their behaviour
Generally, employers should give employees at least 2 written warnings before dismissing them. A Poor performance outcome letter should be used to issue written warnings.
For more information, read Disciplinary warnings.