Warning letter is usually sent by the human resource department, head of department, boss, supervisor or the other higher authority of an organization to an employee stating the dissatisfaction with a blameworthy action for reprimand. It covers the exact reason of the writing in a simple language. It could be written to warn the recipient for several reasons like misbehavior, poor performance, tardiness or any objectionable reason.
Such letters carries advice with a hint of serious consequences. It informs the recipient that his disappointing behavior is intolerable and if he still ignores the warning, he will be in great trouble. You may find several samples of such letter on internet but it is always good to draft a customized letter according to your purpose.
Here we have presented some effective writing tips on how to write a warning letter to make your writing successful.
Format and content:
- Compose it on the official letterhead in the standard format of business letter writing as this a formal correspondence.
- Make to the point, significant and precise notice.
- Keep the tone of the letter professional, polite, sincere and positive. Do not write any derogatory comments.
Opening paragraph:
- Open it directly with the word of warning in simple and sincere manner.
- State your purpose of writing in straightforward manner without informing him about the background of the issue.
- Include all the pertinent reasons such as disappointing performance, failure, tardiness, delinquency, etc in a professional manner.
Middle paragraph:
- Mention the background of the matter to bring more clarity into it.
- Provide some previous references such verbal warnings, internal notice or anything related to it. This will help you to emphasize the matter more seriously.
- Expand the above mentioned points in details. Provide some examples to make him understand the matter easily.
- Highlight if there is something very crucial to grab the attention of the recipient.
Concluding paragraph:
- Summarize the important points in the last paragraph.
- Mention clearly that you are very serious and the reason of the warning is unacceptable. Write down that you will act legally or more strictly if he ignores this word of warning.
- Provide your contact number and encourage the reader to contact you if he needs more clarity or any suggestions regarding this issue.
- Close your letter with a positive note. Thank the recipient and express that you trust him completely. It will encourage the recipient to act upon your advice.
Valediction:
- Write a complimentary closure notation such as “Sincerely”, “Truly” or something similar to it.
Proofreading:
- Proofread it carefully. There should be no grammatical, punctuation or spelling errors. Review to confirm that you have included all the essential facts.
- Ensure to develop a flawless letter as a perfectly worded letter demonstrates your professionalism and credibility.
Make copies:
- Put your signature on the final document to make it authentic.
- Make two copies of it. Send one to the actual recipient and keep one in your records. This will help you in further communication.