Warning Letters
3 min read — Updated February 2026
Warning Progression
South African labour law expects a fair disciplinary process. The typical progression is:
- Verbal Warning — for minor first-time offences. Must still be recorded.
- Written Warning — for repeat offences or more serious misconduct.
- Final Written Warning — the last step before dismissal. The employee must understand this.
Warnings expire under SA law: verbal warnings typically after 3 months, written warnings after 6 months, and final warnings after 12 months. SA Wages Pro tracks expiry dates automatically.
Generating Warning Letters
Go to the employee's profile → Disciplinary Records → Add Warning. Select the warning type, describe the offence, and the system generates a legally formatted letter. The employee should sign to acknowledge receipt.
SA Wages Pro tracks the warning count and shows the current progression (e.g., "1 verbal, 1 written — next step: final warning").
Best Practices
- Always be specific about the misconduct — dates, times, what happened
- Give the employee a chance to respond before issuing the warning
- Keep copies of all signed warnings
- Follow the same process consistently for all employees
- The CCMA expects "progressive discipline" — jumping straight to dismissal without warnings is unfair
All warnings are automatically included in the CCMA Evidence Pack if you ever need it.
Was this article helpful?
Related Articles
Employment Contracts
The 8 contract types available and when to use each one.
Dismissal Letters
Grounds for dismissal and generating legally correct dismissal documents.
CCMA Evidence Pack
What the evidence pack contains and how to download it.