Letter of caution and final warning, performance or conduct
A single format from the Performance Management pack. Appointment letter and code of conduct · certified standing orders or Model Standing Orders 2026 · principles of natural justice.
- 5 pages
- 106
- Word and PDF
- 30 October 2026
- 30 October 2026
What it covers
- 1Letter of caution and final warning, performance or conductAppointment letter and code of conduct · certified standing orders or Model Standing Orders 2026 · principles of natural justice
Not included
What you will still need outside this format:
- The charge sheet, suspension, inquiry and punishment formats, which are in the Exit and IR formats pack
- The notice of retrenchment and the notice to the appropriate Government, where a worker's employment ends for performance (Exit and IR formats)
- The salary revision letter and the wage-base working paper that follow the appraisal
- The Company's own appraisal and compensation policy, rating guide and increment budget
- State Shops and Establishments Act requirements on termination, and advice on a specific case
Read the opening
The first part of the format, as it downloads. Blanks are highlighted.
Choose the right instrument before drafting. A letter of caution records advice and needs no explanation to be called for first. A final warning places a finding on the employee's record, so the employee's explanation must be called for and considered before it issues (Part 2 and Part 3). Check the certified standing orders of the establishment, or the Model Standing Orders 2026 where they apply, or the service rules: if "warning" or "censure" is listed there as a punishment, Part 2 is mandatory and any further procedure the instrument prescribes for minor punishments must also be followed. A warning that was not properly imposed cannot later be relied on to justify a heavier penalty.
Situation | Use |
|---|---|
First or minor lapse in performance or conduct; no penalty intended | Part 1, letter of caution |
Repeated lapse after a caution, or a lapse of moderate seriousness to be placed on record | Part 2, notice calling for explanation, then Part 3, final warning |
Shortfall in capability that needs targets, support and reviews | The performance improvement plan in this pack |