If your employee hasn’t responded adequately to the initial Informal Verbal discussion mentioned in a previous article, you may need to consider taking the following escalating steps:

Verbal Warning

This is a formal step and could be recorded on the employee’s personnel file. This should be used when the initial informal chat has failed to yield results and/or the situation has deteriorated unacceptably. You should clearly state that you’re issuing a ‘verbal warning’, and work out further signs of improvement that you expect to see. Explain that failure to rectify the issue may result in a further escalation to:

Written Warning

Again, this is a more serious step than the previous measures. It should be formulated, discussed and delivered to the employee by his or her supervisor or manager responsible for the action. This should definitely be recorded in the personnel file, which may affect the employee’s future work prospects. It ought to explain why the action is being taken, and what measures of improvements are expected and when.

At all points during the disciplinary process, consider whether there is a gap in the employee’s soft skills training or personal development, that you could be responsible for rectifying.

This article is intended is for general information and should be regarded as a guideline only. If you are carrying out serious disciplinary action, it is recommended that you seek legal advice and further assistance from an advisory service such as ACAS or attend an appropriate management training course.

Related posts:

1. First stage in Disciplinary action – Informal Verbal
2. Disciplinary Action – Final Steps
3. Growth in Training for Disciplinary Procedure

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