Who it's for
- Employers and managers who have held a disciplinary hearing and decided on a warning
- Small businesses without an HR team
- Not for dismissal — use the Termination for Misconduct Letter
What's included
- About this template — the fair process a warning must follow, and the Acas Code of Practice
- Acas disciplinary procedure table: investigation, written notification, hearing, right to be accompanied, decision, written outcome and appeal, with common errors
- Warning types and duration table — first written, first and final, final written, and dismissal
- Written warning letter: allegation, evidence considered, the employee's response, decision, reasons, required improvement, duration and right of appeal
- Employee acknowledgement of receipt
Save with a bundle: get this plus 17 more documents in the Employment Complete Bundle for £44.99.
See what's in the bundle →Key points covered
- Issue a warning only after investigation, written notice of the allegation and a hearing
- Employees can bring a colleague or trade union representative to the hearing
- Tribunals can increase awards by up to 25% where an employer unreasonably fails to follow the Acas Code
- State the specific improvement required and how progress will be reviewed
- Typical time on file is 6 to 12 months; the appeal goes to a manager not involved before
- From 1 January 2027 employees can claim unfair dismissal after 6 months' service, so warnings matter earlier
DocPilot templates are drafted from current legislation and official guidance (GOV.UK, legislation.gov.uk and the relevant regulators), checked against those sources and fully re-reviewed every six months. They are not legal advice. How we make our documents →
Read the guide
Related documents
Employee Disciplinary Pack£19.99 · See what's included →Termination for Misconduct Letter£11.99 · See what's included →Employment Contract Template 2026£19.99 · See what's included →
Questions
Can I give a warning without a hearing?
You should not. The Acas Code expects an investigation, written notice of the allegation and a hearing before any formal warning.
How long should a warning last?
The letter lets you choose 6 or 12 months. After that it is disregarded for disciplinary purposes if there is no further misconduct.
Do I need the full disciplinary pack as well?
The warning letter covers the outcome only. The Employee Disciplinary Pack covers the invitation, investigation and hearing stages.
Is it in the Employment Complete Bundle?
Yes. The Employee Written Warning Letter is one of the documents in the bundle.
Employee Written Warning Letter
£11.99 · Word + PDF · instant download
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