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A warning from your employer: do you have to accept it?

Your employer has issued you a warning? A warning is a caution, and can prepare a later dismissal. If it is unjustified or unclear, you should not simply stay silent, but react.

Reach your next steps and the matching ready-made texts in just a few minutes, free of charge:

Create a counterstatement

Your chances of getting your money back

An effective warning must name the criticized conduct concretely and point out the consequences for a repeat case. Blanket or incorrect warnings are open to challenge.
You do not have to sign a warning. You can submit a counterstatement for your personnel file and, in the case of an unjustified warning, demand its removal from the file.

What you should do now

  1. 1

    1. Do not sign hastily

    A signature confirms at most receipt; refrain from any acknowledgment of guilt. You do not have to admit anything.

  2. 2

    2. Check the facts

    Are the accusations correct? Is the conduct described concretely and the warning function included? Collect counter-evidence.

  3. 3

    3. Submit a counterstatement

    Describe your view in writing and demand that the counterstatement be added to your personnel file.

  4. 4

    4. Demand removal

    If the warning is unjustified, demand its removal from the personnel file. In a dispute, labor-law advice helps.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to sign a warning?

No. A signature confirms at most receipt, not the content. Do not sign anything that looks like an admission of guilt. Instead you can submit a counterstatement for your personnel file.

Can I get rid of an unjustified warning?

Yes. If the warning is substantively wrong or ineffective, you have a claim to its removal from the personnel file. You can demand this in writing and, if necessary, enforce it before the labor court.

Take action now

We put together the ready-made texts and the right places to contact for you.

General information for self-help, not legal advice (RDG). In case of a high loss or uncertainty: contact a consumer advice center or a lawyer.