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ARTICLE · 20 AUGUST 2013

A practical guide to warnings in the workplace

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A warning is a communication to an employee about their performance or conduct at work.

AustraliaEmployment and HR
Richard Ottley
Richard Ottley
Laura Sowden
Laura Sowden
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WHAT IS A WORKPLACE WARNING?

A warning is a communication be it verbal (more informal) or written (more formal) to an employee about their performance or conduct at work. They are a mechanism for communicating an identified area where an employee needs improvement, or where conduct does not meet the requisite standard. The aim is to improve employee performance or conduct.

The performance or conduct issues which would be the subject of a warning are usually of a less serious nature. That is, they do not warrant summary dismissal. Verbal warnings generally precede written warnings. Usually, once a warning is issued, the employee's performance or conduct is monitored for a set period of time.

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