A written warning (Abmahnung) is a formal employer letter describing specific misconduct, forbidding future repetition and threatening labour-law consequences if it recurs. It usually serves as a precursor to a behaviour-based dismissal – without a prior warning, such dismissals are often invalid.
For a warning to be effective, it must describe the criticised conduct precisely, be clearly designated as a warning, and follow within an appropriate time after the breach of duty. Generic or trivial allegations are ineffective and can later be challenged in court.
Those affected have several response options: a written counter-statement filed with the personnel record, a request to remove an unjustified warning, or a claim before the labour court. Consulting a union, works council or employment-law specialist is strongly advised because secondary mistakes often matter most.
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