Issued a Warning Letter to a Manager for Negligence—Should I Explain the Reasons?

I have issued a warning letter to the manager due to negligence of duties. After receiving the letter, he is asking, "Where is my negligence in the operations?" Should I explain to him what I have observed and discussed with management, indicating the same reasons? Kindly advise me.

Yes, you can give him the points regarding his negligence at work. However, do check with your management as this might also be a sensitive matter.

Thank you.

Dear Murali,

The warning letter issued to him obviously contains the negligence of duties that he has committed. A warning letter is issued to warn about the negligence and other acts so that the same mistakes are not repeated by the individual in the future. This is also for future record-keeping purposes, performance appraisals, etc.

If you have not specified any reasons for negligence in the warning letter issued to him, then you should ask him to reply to the letter. This way, you can provide him with the details of his negligence for which the warning letter was issued. Without specifying any details, one cannot issue a warning letter.

Thanks and Regards

Dear Murali, The employee in question has the right to be informed of the negligence allegations made against him by the company. This information is crucial to allow the employee to defend himself if he is innocent or acknowledge his mistakes and work towards improvement if he is indeed guilty. It is essential for the company to conduct a thorough investigation before taking any disciplinary action, including issuing a warning letter. The key components that seem to be lacking in this situation are effective communication and counseling.

Regards,
Autumn Jane

I believe the specific grounds of negligence that led to the warning issued to him should have been clearly outlined in the warning letter. If they were not, the manager is certainly entitled to know the exact nature of the negligence committed, and you should be prepared to communicate those reasons to him.

I agree with Jane & Nayan. As Jane pointed out, the missing links are communication & counseling. Every person needs to be given a chance to explain themselves when accused. Frankly, the issues should have been discussed even before the warning letter was issued to him. For all you know, he may have very justified reasons for whatever he did—one of which could be a lack of support from his superior (it happens very often, but since the superior is usually the one who's closer to the top, such things get brushed under the carpet & the employee becomes the fall guy). Like Giridhar suggested, talk to him in a counseling way & ask for his reply to the warning letter. Then you should weigh his reasons with what you were given to understand earlier & then act accordingly.

Regards,
TS

He needs to be called to HR and counseled before issuing the warning letter. A warning letter given directly to an employee can make the employee feel frustrated and unable to concentrate on his/her work afterward. He/she might be afraid of his/her mistake, but that does not solve the problem. I would suggest calling the employee personally to the HR office, providing counseling, and then ensuring the employee understands or agrees that he/she has made a mistake. After ensuring understanding, you can issue the warning letter on the spot and acknowledge a copy of the letter in the employee's personal file. This approach will help the employee improve his/her attitude.

Thanks,
VJB