Warnings that are issued to an employee are generally issued following a certain progression or escalation.  By sticking to the progression you can help the employee understand exactly what level of discipline they are currently receiving and just how serious the issue is.  Review the following progression of employee warnings to learn if it is time for a written warning:  Verbal warning Written warning Final written warning Termination of the employee. Before you issue the written warning to an employee you will want to consult your organization's disciplinary code.  Make sure that the code agrees with your decision to issue a written warning.  Match the severity of the issue to the disciplinary code that your organization uses before you submit your written warning.  Some issues may not be very serious or are a first time occurrence with that employee.  These may require a simple verbal warning. Other issues may be quite serious and could warrant a written warning, bypassing the verbal warning.  These might include theft or threats of violence. Before you create a written warning you will need to collect all the relevant information regarding the employee and the issue at hand.  Collecting this information will allow you to judge if the written warning is appropriate as well as allow you to write a detailed and effective warning.  Learn the dates and times of any employee infractions. Detail any conversations or previous verbal warnings about this issue. Collect old documents which the employee signed, documenting their acceptance to company terms and illustrating their violation of them. Before you complete and issue your written warning you will want to speak privately with the employee in question.  This meeting will allow you to further understand the situation and accurately judge if the next step is to issue a written warning to the employee.  The conversation may reveal that the issue was a misunderstanding and no further action is needed. You may be able to collect more information about the incident, allowing you to better issue your written warning should it be necessary. In larger organizations it may be unclear as to who should be the one to deliver the written warning, especially if the employee has more than one supervisor or manager.  Make sure that it is company policy that you are the one required to write or deliver the warning to the employee.  Generally, the direct supervisor will issue the letter. In some cases, the decision to issue the written warning may be decided by a group meeting.
Follow the usual progression of warnings. Follow the organization's code. Gather information about the issue. Talk with the employee. Determine if it is your duty to issue or write the warning.