Employee Warning Letter

What is an employee warning letter?

An employee warning letter is a formal written notice issued by an employer to address concerns regarding an employee’s performance, misconduct, or breaches of workplace policies.

While Australian laws do not prescribe a specific warning letter format for employees, the letter should be drafted in compliance with the Fair Work Act 2009 and the National Employment Standards. Every employee has the right to be officially notified about the performance or conduct issues and how these could be improved.

The warning letters to employees are commonly used by small businesses, HR professionals, compliance managers, startups and other businesses operating across Australia to formally notify their employees of issues relating to their performance or behaviour.

When should you use this employee warning letter?

A warning letter to employee is being used in situations when the employee’s performance or behaviour does not meet the requirements of their role or the company’s internal policies, including:

• poor work performance;
• violation of disciplinary policy;
• inappropriate behaviour at the workplace;
• constant lateness to work or early departures;
• harassment of colleagues.

It is important to note that the present employee warning letter template cannot be used for the issuance of warnings to freelancers or independent contractors, as it should apply only in employment relations.

What should be included in the employee warning letter template?

To create a complete and fully compliant sample warning letter to employee, include the following:

• Employer’s Details. The letter should include full identification details, such as a name, address, contact email or phone number.
• Employee’s Details. Include the full name, mailing address and current job title of an employee on whose name this letter is being issued.
• Type of warning. This letter could be of two types – the 1st warning letter to employee or a subsequent warning letter.
• Scope of Violation. The key element of a warning letter to employee is a description of an employee’s behaviour that became the reason for the warning. The explanation should be specific and reflect key facts and dates.
• Area for Improvement. According to the National Employment Standard, an employee should be given an ability to improve their performance or behaviour. In this regard, the text of an employee warning letter should outline what should be done or improved. It is also common to include the next follow-up meeting to reassess an employee’s behaviour or performance.
• Date and Signature. To create a legally binding letter, the employer must date and sign this letter.

What are the benefits of this employee warning letter template?

Having a well-drafted letter of warning to employee from FasterDraft gives you lots of benefits:

• a document that is fully compliant with Australian best employment practices, the Fair Work Act and the National Employment Standard;
• a letter created by lawyers, and never by AI;
• a document written in plain, clear English;
• a template in editable PDF and Word formats.

How to customise this employee warning letter with FasterDraft?

To get a fully customisable letter template, follow a few easy steps below:

1. Click the “Create Document” button.
2. Answer simple questions in the form.
3. Select a template’s format – employee warning letter template Australia PDF or Word.
4. E-sign the document.
5. Make a payment.

The letter is ready for instant download immediately after the purchase.

Warning Letter to Employee Checklist

Once the document is complete, there are a few more steps employers should follow.

Read the Letter

It is important to read the document carefully to make sure all the details are listed correctly. Errors and mistakes can cost a lot, especially in employment relations. Make sure that the facts described in the text of a letter of warning to employee are accurately reflected.

Check the Policies

Most Australian companies have lots of internal corporate policies in place dealing with disciplinary issues and issuance of warning letters. If such a policy is in place, it is always recommended to check it first to clarify the following:

• What is the timeline of issuing a warning letter?
• Who can issue the letter (for example, an employee’s supervisor or head of HR department);
• How the letter should be sent to an employee (for example, by email or in person).

Sign the Letter

A warning letter to employee must be signed by a company’s authorised person. It could be a compliance manager, head of the HR department, or a company’s director. If a letter is delivered to the employee in person, it is important to ensure that employee also puts their signature on that letter. Such a signature certifies the fact of the employee’s acknowledgement of the letter.