To be used as part of a company’s disciplinary process. In the event that informal verbal warnings about an employee’s conduct have failed to correct it, a company would escalate the matter to the first written warning stage. This is the first stage of formal disciplinary action. It is normal for a company to issue a first written warning, then a final written warning then move to dismissal.
In some cases an employee’s actions may be so serious that informal action is not appropriate and it may be deemed suitable to move straight to a written warning.