written warnings

Hi first time so sorry if im in the wrong spot...

My friend recently received a written warning for taking an extra 10 mins for her morning tea..She made up the time by skipping her afternoon break but as her boss saw she was taking a longer break he issued her with a written warning ....is this fair? She does her work and is always told she does a better job than the other workers..Personally i find it a stupid reason to issue warnings for something so minor...this was the first time she had done this..

Saxoben, First off although some employers overreact on occasions and in the heat of the moment, it is usually the case that there is something else going on other than the incident in question. If however this is the truly the one and only issue then yes I would agree that this is perhaps an overreaction.

My friend did receive her written warning a few days later and it said it was in regards to unsatisfactory work.It just mentions that her boss witnessed her taking a longer break..Also states this is the 1st written warning.I really dont see how her work is unsatisfactory when its about her having a longer break..She is a hard worker as well as she has missed breaks on occasions wehn she had been busy or started earlier which she made it clear to her boss.He did not take this into consideration. She has never had her boss tell her that her work is unsatisfactory.In fact a couple of months ago she received a certificate for being employee of the month..I think it stinks..Definately an overreaction but becasue of this action it is now on her working record...

If she wants to take it further she would need to seek assistance from the an employee representative organisation. If a warning letter is going to be issued then it needs to be after a fairly comprehensive process has been followed, not just an off the cuff action.

I agree but my friend just wants to move on as she doesnt want the hassles..Unfortunate as i feel she should of persued it but it is her choice...I did advise her to find another job as her boss is obviously not a fair one to be so harsh...Most work places do verbal warnings first and to not take in consideration that she has given them more time than she has taken from them is a cop out. I dont think she will be missing any of her breaks from now on..I also dont regard this as unsatisfactory work and i am sure the clients would back her up that she works for..

It really depends on the industry and the policies in place.

A highly customer focused business which is running quite lean may see taking an extra 10 mins for a break while cusomters are waiting and other staff are under pressure quite a serious issue.

I'm thinking back to my call-centre days here, but the same may apply for banks, retail etc.