GUIDELINES
- In the case of an employee's violation of your company's policies, remain calm. Write a brief letter to your employee that talks about the issue. Don't comment on your employee's character. Take a look at "Document Employee Reprimands".
- In this letter, tell the employee the reason of rebuking him/her. Present evidence or facts if necessary.
- Mention the action that can be taken against the employee and what can he/she do to make amends.
- Tell the employee that you expect remedial actions from him/her.
SAMPLE LETTER
[Address line]
[State, ZIP Code]
[Letter Date]
[Address line]
[State, ZIP Code]
[Subject: Normally bold, summarizes the intention of the letter] -Optional-
Dear [Recipients Name],
When we first hired you, I strongly felt that you were an excellent addition to our company. You were driven, highly motivated, and your strong work ethic reflected on the number of sales that you were closing for the enterprise.
With such a stellar record like yours, it comes as quite a surprise that the last month has seen such a great decline in your productivity. As you know, we have set the quota at 80% for tenured agents like you. You did not seem to have a problem achieving this until last month where your percentage fell to a mere 40%. The decrease is exceedingly alarming.
I ask that you come to my office tomorrow at 10:00 am so we can talk about this issue. Please know that I would like to hear some explanation from you and believe that you are capable of the caliber of work that we required. I look forward to speaking to you about this matter.
Sincerely,
[Senders Name]
[Senders Title] -Optional-
[Enclosures: number] - Optional -
cc: [Name of copy recipient] - Optional -
Letter to criticize an employee for a decline in performance.
Further things to consider when writing reprimand letters to employees
Reprimand Letters
Reprimand letters are letters written to rebuke or criticize others because of their actions or behavior. These are usually written by supervisors at work and used as an official statement of a behavior an employee needs to improve. A reprimand letter specifically and clearly points out the behavior or performance problem an employee is supposed to improve as well as the consequences if he/she shows no improvement. In most cases, a reprimand letter is preceded by a formal verbal warning about the issue. It is one of the major elements that constitute a company's disciplinary process.
Effective reprimand letters use strong, yet respectable tone. Prior to writing, check to see that the company procedures and policies are in place. Start by mentioning the recipient's positive qualities or behavior. Make a clear statement of the performance issue or behavior that the recipient must improve. Explain how this has impacted the company negatively. Enumerate specific suggestions on how the recipient can improve the situation. Describe any actions that will be taken against the recipient if the situation doesn't change. End on a positive note that gives encouragement, demonstrates concern, or that expresses confidence that the recipient will resolve the issue.
Letters to Employees
Letters to employees are letters written to individuals who work for an organization or for another person. If you are an employer or manage a group of employees, the chances are that you will have to write to the employees at some point. It could be an introduction letter to introduce a new product or service to salespersons, a rejection letter to turn down an employee's request for a promotion, or a thank-you letter to thank an employee for his/her hard work. You could also write a termination letter to fire an employee for his/her poor performance. Whatever the reason for your writing, the letter must be formal and professional.
All letters to employees must be addressed with the proper names of the recipients. But if your message is intended for all employees in general, you can address your letter as "To all employees". State the purpose of the letter. Convey your message briefly but clearly, highlighting all the important details. If the issue that you are writing about requires further explanation, make sure to offer your explanation in a way that the recipient can easily understand. Wrap it up with a positive note or a call to action.
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