The Supa Style Limited
1st November 2019,
From: Human Resource Manager
To: Miss Rose Spears
Po. Box: 124-227, South B Street.
Dear Rose;
Re: Warning Letter
Your daily duty begins at 0800hr every day from Monday to Friday and ends at 1700hr. In the past three weeks, you have reported to work late on multiple occasions. The recent most was on 27 October when you reported at 0845hr. This extreme lateness has since been recurring. You did not issue a notification that you were going to be late, neither have you issued a written or verbal apology for being late in those multiple times.
You are to report to work at or before 0800hrs. Should any emergency arise preventing your timely arrival, you are to notify your head of department before 0800hrs or soon upon every late arrival.
By extension, your recurrent lateness has resulted in most of your responsibilities exceeding the stipulated deadline. On 28 October 2019, you did not deliver the final copy of the audit report, did not update all the petty cashbooks, and neither have you amended the checkbooks until date.
It is also worthwhile noting that you have been fond of errors in your work with a detrimental impact on our institution. Most significantly, the debiting error on 18 October 2019, which made our establishment, lose $2000. Your work-related errors have extended to affect your department and the reputation of the company at large.
This is a warning and not a disciplinary letter; however, failure to heed this warning will result in disciplinary action.
Regard, HRM
Reason for Warning Letter
Curbs the Tardiness
A warning letter is appropriate for curbing the tardiness of employees that reduces the time left for them to perform their duties, and by extension, reducing the productivity of the employees. A warning letter addresses any employee noted to be arriving to work late. It sends out a stern signal to employees that their actions and movements are monitored and should give the maximum effort to the business (Eccleston and Goschen, 2017). The warning also re-emphasizes to the workers that the management of the organization is determined and strict about staff conduct. A warning letter to one employee achieves an indirect alert to other staff; hence, the progression of tardiness is terminated (Eccleston and Goschen, 2017). Rose has been late for work for three weeks, as well as failing to meet deadlines, thus warning her is appropriate before taking any disciplinary actions against her.
Prevention of spread of tardiness among workers
If tardiness is to be ignored by management, there is a higher likelihood that it will spread to other employees upon noticing that they can be late, yet no one bothers. It, therefore, warrants that any staff portraying tardiness should be warned with the strongest intensity possible. It is essential to condemn tardiness, poor performance, and work-related errors if the organization is to maintain gross discipline among the worker. It would be more challenging to deal with such problems once it spread to involve many workers, thus might jeopardize the organization’s reputations and performance. If Rose is not warned, her fellow staff can start aping her behaviors. This would have a negative implication on the organization. Work-related errors need to be curbed and kept to the lowest limit possible.
Improves employees’ time management skills
The affected employee can attribute tardiness to poor time management skills. According to Eccleston & Goschen it is paramount to send warning letters to tardive employees early enough to make them reassess their time management skills and amend it accordingly (2017). It should be made clear to employees that any time within the stipulated working hours is the company’s time and should be utilized fully. The phrase “time is money” should be emphasized to make it known to all employees that office time should be used to the maximum to the benefit of the organization. Rose ought to improve her time management skills for her to add value to the organization’s time. Moreover, Rose is ever being caught up by the deadline. She needs a new approach to time management skills. This can only be achieved if she is sent a stern warning to make her strive to her achievable best to improve on her weakness.
Impose discipline
Rose has been a consistent latecomer in the last three weeks that means her work discipline is fading away. She needs to receive a warning latter to force her to make the drastic changes to re-align herself to the code of conduct of her organization. Failure to which, disciplinary action that may include termination of her working contract. In her warning letter, it will be upon her to decide if she will improve or be fired. The letter also instills discipline among other staff, since any disciplinary action taken is detrimental and no employee wants to face the same. Failing to meet deadlines takes discipline. In that regard, Rose portrays herself to be lacking this quality; thus, her warning serves to bring it back since she will have to strive to avoid her lateness, errors, and meet deadlines. On the other hand, one staff warned is equivalent to indirect warning to other employees.
Improves communication skills
There are instances where the lateness of the employee is due to unavoidable circumstances; however, they fail to communicate or notify their circumstances to the relevant authorities to grant them permission (Magotsch and Kremp, 2018). This is attributed to poor communication skills. Among the qualities of a good employee is to be able to communicate freely while expressing themselves. Failure to which can be regarded as a lack of etiquette and work ethics. Sending warning letters, therefore, incline the employee to start communicating their concerns freely to avoid repercussions. A warning letter urges the employee to communicate the reasons behind them being late for work either before or after arriving late (Eccleston & Goschen 2017). Effective communication in an organization can be achieved through either verbal or written means.
Provides a moderate response
Sofyan et al. asserts that a warning letter, as opposed to suspension and termination of the working contract, is a reasonable response by the organization’s management to any disciplinary incident (2016). A warning letter serves to bring the problems the attention of the concerned employee and give them a chance to improve (Magotsch & Kremp 2018). After all, it would be inconsiderate to resorting to far-reaching measures such as termination of the job contract in the initial steps of the problem matter. Moderate responses offer the employee a chance to salvage themselves rather than seeing themselves being rid of the organization straight away.
References
Eccleston, D., & Goschen, K. (2017). The Manager’s Guide to Discipline. Routledge.
Sofyan, M., Rahman, A., Bima, M. J., & Nujum, S. (2016). The Effect Of Career Development And Working Discipline Towards Working Satisfaction And Employee Performance In The Regional Office Of Ministry Of Religious Affairs In South Sulawesi. International Journal Of Scientific & Technology Research, 5(03), 51-57.
Magotsch, M., & Kremp, P. R. (2018). Termination of employment. In Key aspects of German employment and labour law (pp. 171-193). Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg.
