What To Put In An Email For A Disciplinary: A Guide for Employees

Dealing with disciplinary action at work can be tough, and sometimes it all starts with an email. Knowing what to include in that email is crucial. This article will break down What To Put In An Email For A Disciplinary, helping you understand the key elements and providing examples you can learn from. It’s all about being clear, fair, and ensuring everyone understands the situation.

The Essential Elements of a Disciplinary Email

When you’re writing an email about a disciplinary issue, you need to be clear and specific. The goal is to clearly outline the problem, the expectations, and the potential consequences if things don’t improve. This isn’t about being overly harsh; it’s about being professional and ensuring the employee understands the situation. This is vital to protecting yourself, your company, and the employee’s rights.

Here are some essential things to include:

  • A clear subject line (e.g., “Disciplinary Action – [Employee Name]”)
  • The date of the email
  • The employee’s name and job title

You should provide a detailed explanation of the issue at hand. This includes the specific incidents, dates, and times. It is very important to use facts and not feelings. Also, you should include what company policies or expectations were violated. To give you more information, think of these as things:

  1. Specific behavior
  2. Date and Time
  3. Location of Incident

Email Example: Addressing Poor Performance

Subject: Disciplinary Action – Performance – Jane Doe

Date: October 26, 2023

To: Jane Doe

From: HR Department

Dear Jane,

This email serves as a formal written warning regarding your recent performance. Specifically, we have observed consistent issues with meeting deadlines and the quality of your deliverables over the past month. Examples include:

  • Missing the September 15th deadline for the Q3 report.
  • Errors in the October 10th client presentation.

These issues have been discussed in previous informal meetings, and we have provided support to improve your performance. However, the problems persist. We expect an immediate improvement in these areas. We require all deadlines to be met, and all work must meet the required quality standards.
A performance improvement plan (PIP) has been prepared and will be discussed in our meeting on October 30, 2023. Failure to meet these standards may lead to further disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.

Sincerely,

HR Department

Email Example: Addressing Attendance Issues

Subject: Disciplinary Action – Attendance – John Smith

Date: October 26, 2023

To: John Smith

From: HR Department

Dear John,

This email confirms the written warning regarding your recent attendance record. Your attendance has not met the requirements of our company policy. Specifically, we note the following instances of tardiness and/or absences:

  • October 12th: Arrived at 9:15 AM (late)
  • October 18th: Absent without prior notice.

These instances are a violation of the company’s attendance policy, which requires punctual attendance and proper notification of absences. As previously discussed, we require your attendance to improve immediately. This means arriving on time and notifying your supervisor in advance of any absences, except in cases of emergency.
A meeting has been scheduled for October 30th, 2023, to create a plan to address this issue. Failure to improve your attendance may lead to further disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.

Sincerely,

HR Department

Email Example: Addressing a Violation of Company Policy (Social Media)

Subject: Disciplinary Action – Policy Violation – Sarah Jones

Date: October 26, 2023

To: Sarah Jones

From: HR Department

Dear Sarah,

This letter addresses a violation of our company’s social media policy. Specifically, a post made on your personal social media account on October 20th, 2023, contained confidential company information. This information violated our company’s policy of non-disclosure.
The company’s policy (Section 4.2) states that confidential information should not be shared on any social media platform. We expect that you will immediately remove the post and refrain from sharing any company information without the proper authorization.
A meeting is scheduled for October 30th, 2023, to create an action plan to prevent this from happening again. Failure to adhere to the company’s policy may lead to further disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.

Sincerely,

HR Department

Email Example: Addressing Insubordination

Subject: Disciplinary Action – Insubordination – Michael Brown

Date: October 26, 2023

To: Michael Brown

From: HR Department

Dear Michael,

This letter serves as a written warning regarding your insubordinate behavior. On October 24th, 2023, you refused a direct order from your supervisor, John Doe, to complete the ABC project, which falls under the list of your duties outlined in your job description.
Your behavior is a violation of company policy, which requires employees to follow instructions from their supervisors. We expect that you will follow your supervisor’s instructions.
A meeting is scheduled for October 30th, 2023, to create an action plan to prevent this from happening again. Failure to comply with the directives of supervisors in the future will lead to further disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.

Sincerely,

HR Department

Email Example: Addressing a Safety Violation

Subject: Disciplinary Action – Safety Violation – Emily Davis

Date: October 26, 2023

To: Emily Davis

From: HR Department

Dear Emily,

This email addresses a safety violation that occurred on October 23rd, 2023. It was observed that you were not wearing the required safety goggles while operating the XYZ machine.
This is a violation of the company’s safety policy, which requires the use of personal protective equipment at all times when in the production area. We expect that you will comply with the safety rules to protect your health and wellbeing, in the future.
A meeting is scheduled for October 30th, 2023, to review the company safety guidelines. Failure to adhere to company safety policies may lead to further disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.

Sincerely,

HR Department

Email Example: Addressing Harassment

Subject: Disciplinary Action – Harassment – Robert Wilson

Date: October 26, 2023

To: Robert Wilson

From: HR Department

Dear Robert,

This email concerns the allegations of harassment made against you. Specifically, there were reports of inappropriate comments made to a coworker on October 19th and 20th.
This conduct is a violation of the company’s harassment policy, which prohibits any form of harassment. We expect you will follow the company’s harassment policy in the future.
A meeting is scheduled for October 30th, 2023, to further discuss this matter and formulate a plan of action to prevent future occurrences. Failure to stop this behavior may result in more serious disciplinary measures, including termination of employment.

Sincerely,

HR Department

In conclusion, knowing What To Put In An Email For A Disciplinary action is about being clear, concise, and fair. By following these guidelines and using the examples as a guide, you can ensure that disciplinary emails are handled professionally and effectively. This protects both the company and the employee, setting the stage for improvement and a positive work environment. Remember, clear communication is always the first step toward resolving any issue.

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