Acts and Facts: A Workplace Communication Must

Over the many years whether working as a management employment lawyer, human resources executive or consultant I have read proposed disciplinary letters that include phrases such as “You are being given a verbal warning for unprofessional conduct;” or “your ongoing inappropriate behavior is unacceptable and if it happens again, you will be terminated,” among others. All come from a place of authenticity: the supervisors have observed conduct that is unacceptable in the specific workplace. However, something is missing: the underlying facts that led to those conclusions.