Disagree with written warning

Taken from the column Ask the lawyers / Professional traffic issue 1 in 2026

Question :
I have received a written warning from my employer that I believe is incorrect. I have sent my employer an email explaining why I disagree with the warning and asked them to withdraw it. Is there anything else I need to do?

Answer :
The starting point is that the employer has the right to give a written warning. A warning in itself has no practical significance for the employment relationship, other than that it is the employer's documentation that they have given you feedback on conditions they believe you need to change, and a warning that the employment relationship may be affected if there is no improvement. If the same conditions are repeated later, the fact that a warning has been given could have an impact on whether there is objective reason for dismissal in the event of a repetition.

If you as an employee disagree with the content of the warning, it is therefore important that you express your side of the matter, and it is very good that you have written a response. The employer can decide whether to withdraw the warning. If the warning is not withdrawn, you should request that your response be included with the warning in your personnel file. If you are later dismissed, you can then indicate that there was a disagreement about the content of the warning.

In the future, the most important thing will be that you comply with the warning so that the employer cannot claim that the same circumstances have occurred again.