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Warning Letter / Notice of Caution Template (警告書・注意書)

Generate a defensible Japanese warning letter (警告書) or notice of caution (注意書) in seconds. Specific facts, violated Work Rules article, expected change, correction deadline, prior-warning record, and stated consequences. Preview in Japanese or English, edit inline, then export to PDF.

Emmanuel Gendre, Founder of SaiyouTeam
By Emmanuel Gendre
Founder, SaiyouTeam · 12 years recruiting in Japan

Last reviewed: · Aligned with Articles 15 & 16 of the Labor Contract Act and the MHLW progressive-discipline guidance

Warning letter generator

2026年5月8日

田中 太郎　殿

ITソリューション部　ソフトウェアエンジニア

〒100-0005 東京都千代田区丸の内1-1-1

株式会社サンプル

代表取締役　山田 花子

人事部長 鈴木 一郎

注 意 書

貴殿に対し、下記のとおり注意を行うとともに、是正を求めます。本書面は、就業規則所定の懲戒処分そのものではなく、段階的懲戒手続における事前の注意として交付するものです。

記

  1. 事実関係 発生日: 2026年4月22日 発生場所: 本社オフィス 3階会議室 2026年4月22日午前10時頃、本社3階会議室にて開催された定例ミーティングにおいて、貴殿は上司である部長からの業務指示に対し、合理的な理由なく拒否し、会議室から退室しました。 影響を受けた関係者: 同部署の同僚3名及び取引先である株式会社A社の担当者
  2. 違反した規則 該当条項: 就業規則第12条第1項（業務命令遵守義務）及び第45条第1項第3号 違反の種別: 業務命令違反
  3. 求められる是正措置 上司からの合理的な業務指示に対し、誠実かつ速やかに従うこと。
  4. 是正期限 2026年6月8日 までに上記の是正措置を講ずること。
  5. 過去の注意・指導の記録 口頭注意: 2026年3月15日 書面警告: その他: 2026年4月10日付 上司による面談記録（業務指示遵守について指導）
  6. 是正されない場合の措置 上記の是正期限までに改善が認められない場合、又は同種の問題が再発した場合、就業規則所定の懲戒処分（戒告、譴責、減給、出勤停止又は懲戒解雇等）の対象となります。
  7. 段階的懲戒の原則について 本書面は、日本の労働判例上確立された段階的懲戒（progressive discipline）の手続における注意段階として交付するものであり、それ自体は懲戒処分ではありません。懲戒処分を行う場合には、別途、就業規則所定の手続（弁明の機会の付与等）を経て決定されます。
  8. お問い合わせ 本件に関するお問い合わせは、人事部 鈴木（電話 03-1234-5678）までお願いいたします。

以上

株式会社サンプル

人事部長 鈴木 一郎　　印

________________________

受領確認欄

本欄への署名は、本書面を受領したことの確認であり、記載内容に対する同意を意味するものではありません。

従業員氏名: 田中 太郎

署名: ________________________

受領日: ________________________

Ready to send? Download a PDF of the notice you see above. Your email is used only to receive the file.

Official sources

This template is built on the following primary Japanese government sources. Open each link to verify the underlying rule against the issuing authority.

Reference

What the Warning Letter / Notice of Caution (警告書・注意書) is

A warning letter (警告書 / keikoku-sho) or notice of caution (注意書 / chui-sho) is the formal document an employer issues to put an employee on notice that specific behavior or performance is unacceptable, and to set expectations for change. It is the second step in the standard Japanese progressive-discipline ladder (verbal counsel, written warning, 始末書 (incident report) or 戒告 (formal reprimand), final warning, dismissal). Without a documented warning step, later disciplinary action is structurally weak.

When to use

When to issue this notice

  • After verbal counseling has not produced behavior change
  • When a specific incident requires formal documentation, even if not yet rising to disciplinary sanction
  • As the formal first written record of an attendance, performance, or conduct issue
  • Before initiating any formal disciplinary process (戒告 reprimand, 譴責 formal censure, 出勤停止 suspension, dismissal)

Mandatory items

What to include in the notice

  • Specific facts: what happened, when, where, who was affected
  • The Work Rules article, policy, or expectation that was violated
  • What corrective action is expected from the employee
  • Timeline for correction (specific date or period)
  • Stated consequences if the issue is not corrected (next disciplinary step)
  • Reference to prior verbal warnings or other documented discussions on the same issue
  • Employer signature, date, and name of the issuing manager
  • Employee acknowledgement signature line (acknowledgement of receipt, not agreement)

Legal basis

Japanese employment courts apply a doctrine of progressive discipline: termination must follow appropriate steps that gave the employee fair notice and a real opportunity to correct. A warning letter is the documented version of "fair notice." Without it, later disciplinary action, whether 戒告 (reprimand), 譴責 (formal censure), 出勤停止 (suspension), or dismissal, is structurally hard to defend. Article 15 of the Labor Contract Act requires that disciplinary measures be reasonable in light of the nature and degree of the act; Article 16 of the Labor Contract Act invalidates dismissals that lack objectively reasonable grounds or are not socially acceptable. The warning letter does not need to allege misconduct in the criminal sense; it can address performance, attendance, or behavioral issues.

Frequently asked

Common questions about the Warning Letter / Notice of Caution

What's the difference between 警告書 and 注意書?

In practice the two are largely interchangeable. Notice of caution (注意書 / chui-sho) is slightly softer in tone, often used for the first written notice. Warning letter (警告書 / keikoku-sho) is firmer, often the next escalation step or used directly for more serious issues. Some companies use 注意書 for performance and 警告書 for misconduct, but the legal weight is similar.

Does the employee need to sign?

Best practice is to ask for signature confirming receipt. Refusal to sign does not invalidate the warning, but document the refusal (date, witness). Receipt-acknowledgement signature is not agreement to the content; it just confirms the employee received the notice and was informed of the issue.

How many warnings before dismissal?

No fixed number, but the doctrine of progressive discipline applies. Typical successful disciplinary terminations show two or three documented steps over a meaningful period: verbal counsel, written warning, 始末書 (incident report) or 戒告 (reprimand), final warning, dismissal. Single-warning dismissals are rarely defensible unless the misconduct is severe (criminal, gross safety violation, harassment).

Can a warning letter trigger immediate sanction?

No. A warning letter is itself a notification, not a sanction. If the employer wants to impose a sanction (戒告 reprimand, 譴責 formal censure, 出勤停止 suspension), that is a separate disciplinary procedure with its own due-process requirements: hearing the employee, applying the Work Rules disciplinary clauses, proportionality. The warning letter is the predicate to that procedure, not the procedure itself.

Should performance issues be in a warning letter or a PIP?

A performance improvement plan (業績改善計画 / PIP) is more constructive: it sets specific goals, milestones, and resources for improvement. A warning letter is more formal and disciplinary. Best practice for performance issues: start with a PIP (offering structure and support), and escalate to a warning letter only if the PIP fails to produce change.

What is the legal basis for warning letters in Japan?

There is no single statute that requires warning letters. The doctrine sits on top of Article 15 of the Labor Contract Act (disciplinary measures must be reasonable in light of the act), Article 16 of the Labor Contract Act (dismissal must be objectively reasonable and socially acceptable), and decades of case law that operationalize "progressive discipline" (段階的懲戒). MHLW guidance treats progressive discipline as the default expectation.

About the author

Emmanuel Gendre, Founder of SaiyouTeam
Emmanuel Gendre
Founder, SaiyouTeam · TechieCV K.K.

Emmanuel advises small and mid-sized companies (SMBs) on HR and recruiting in Japan. He brings 12 years recruiting in Japan as a Recruitment Consultant placing IT professionals, plus prior experience hiring engineers across EMEA as a Google recruiter. The discipline workflow is something he handles regularly with his SMB clients in Japan, so he built this template as part of that advisory work and uses it himself when those conversations come up.

For case-specific HR matters, Emmanuel works with licensed Japanese professionals (社会保険労務士 and 弁護士). This template is a planning tool used in those conversations, not a substitute for professional advice on an individual case.

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Termination Notice (解雇通知書)

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Important. This template is provided for general planning purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice. Japanese employment law is complex and case-specific. Before issuing this notice in any non-routine situation, consult a Certified Social Insurance and Labor Consultant (社会保険労務士) or a qualified labor lawyer (弁護士).