Can I Appeal a Written Warning

Receiving a written warning at work can be stressful and is likely to cause you a great deal of anxiety. Written warnings are usually part of a formal disciplinary process where you have already received a verbal warning, and this is the next step. In some cases, it may be that you have gone straight to a written warning due to an act of gross misconduct or a serious offence at work. If you feel that your written warning is too harsh, you might decide to appeal. These are some reasons why you might decide to appeal a written warning at work.

Genuine Absences

If you have been given a written warning at work for your absence levels, it might feel harsh if your absences have been genuine. It is common for workplaces to have an absence management policy, whereby if you trigger a certain amount of absences within a year, you will be invited to a meeting with HR. These policies are in place to keep control of absences and so that they can be handled correctly. If your absences are caused by an illness, or perhaps because of care duties, you might feel that a written warning is unfair. In this case, you might appeal the written warning but it would be worthwhile providing some evidence, where possible. For instance, medical records or sick lines.

Lack of Investigation

If you have been given a written warning due to an incident at work or a grievance raised against you but there has been no investigation to reach the decision, you might decide to appeal the decision. It is imperative for any organisation that they follow a fair and transparent process when deciding whether to take action, otherwise it may be deemed as unfair. You would be within your rights to appeal a written warning, if there has been no investigation. An investigation is used to get evidence and HR should make decisions based on factual evidence.

Inconsistency in Decision Making

The decision should be based on evidence and should be fair. If, for instance, an incident has occurred between yourself and another individual but you are being treated more harshly, you would have a right to appeal a written warning. For example, you both make the same mistake but you have received a written warning and they received a verbal warning. You might feel that you are being managed out of your job.

How to Appeal a Written Warning

If you decide to appeal, you should:

• Submit your appeal in writing
• Clearly explain why the warning is unfair
• Provide any supporting evidence
• Do so within your employer’s stated timeframe

Following the correct HR appeal process will improve your chances of a successful outcome.

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