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Kagaznama

Termination/Warning Letter

At a glance

Price
Free
Stamp duty
Not chargeable to stamp duty under the Indian Stamp Act, 1899, whether issued in Punjab or in the Union Territory of Chandigarh — it is a notice, not an instrument creating or transferring any right.
Registration
Not registrable.
Witnesses
None needed for the letter itself.

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Also called

  • Warning Letter
  • Termination Letter
  • Show Cause cum Warning Letter
  • Letter of Termination of Employment
  • Chetavani Patra
  • Seva Samapti Patra
  • ਚੇਤਾਵਨੀ ਪੱਤਰ
  • ਸੇਵਾ ਸਮਾਪਤੀ ਪੱਤਰ

When you need it

Either of two related but different letters at a Punjab or Chandigarh workplace — a formal written warning to an employee about conduct or performance, short of ending their employment; or a notice ending an employee's employment. The first question this document asks is which of the two you need, and it shows only the fields that letter requires.

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A warning records the issue, what improvement is expected, and the consequence of it continuing. A termination records the reason, the last working day, and whether notice or pay in lieu of notice is being given. Both assume the Company's own disciplinary process, where one applies, has already been followed — this letter records the outcome of that process, it is not a substitute for it. Not for an employee's own resignation — that is the employee's letter to write, not the Company's. Not for the certificate confirming someone has already left — use the Experience/Relieving Letter for that once the exit is complete.

Whether you can fill this in here

You can fill this in here

You can fill this one in on this site, and read the whole draft on screen before you decide anything about it. It is a carefully drafted template; it is not advice about your own facts.

Fill this one in
See stamp duty, registration and witnesses

What follows is written for Punjab and Chandigarh. It states the position there rather than describing how it varies, so the amounts below are the ones that apply — worth confirming at the sub-registrar’s office, because rates change. If the property is anywhere else in India, none of this is yours.

Stamp duty

Not chargeable to stamp duty under the Indian Stamp Act, 1899, whether issued in Punjab or in the Union Territory of Chandigarh — it is a notice, not an instrument creating or transferring any right. Print it on the Company's letterhead.

Registration

Not registrable. Section 17 of the Registration Act, 1908 has no application to a letter of this kind, in Punjab or in Chandigarh.

Notarisation

Not required. Deliver it by hand against acknowledgement, or by a method that lets the Company prove delivery — registered post or a dated email — and keep proof of that delivery; a notary adds nothing to it.

Witnesses

None needed for the letter itself. If it is handed over in a meeting, it is good practice for a second Company representative to be present as an observer, but that person signs as a note-taker or observer, not as an attesting witness.

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Sample preview — placeholder answers, not your data

Northline Analytics Private Limited
Plot No. 8, Phase 8-B, Industrial Area, S.A.S. Nagar (Mohali) 160055

Date: 1 April 2026

To,
Rajesh Bansal
House No. 214, Sector 15-A, Chandigarh 160015

Dear Rajesh Bansal,

Sub: a formal written warning concerning conduct or performance, and not a termination of employment (Employee ID NA-0231)

This letter is addressed to you as Field Sales Executive, and constitutes a formal written warning concerning conduct or performance, and not a termination of employment.

THE ISSUE. Failure to submit weekly sales reports by the deadline on three occasions in July 2026 despite verbal reminders. You are expected to submit every weekly report by the deadline stated in the Company's sales process from the date of this letter.

This is a first written warning.

A further breach, or a failure to improve, may lead to a final written warning or to termination of employment, after the Company's disciplinary procedure.

You may respond to this warning in writing within a reasonable time if you disagree with it, and your response will be kept together with this letter on your personnel file. This warning does not by itself end your employment.

Yours sincerely,

For Northline Analytics Private Limited

_________________________
Anita Verma
Head of Human Resources

Place: S.A.S. Nagar (Mohali)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF RECEIPT

I, Rajesh Bansal, acknowledge receipt of this letter. My signature records receipt only and does not by itself indicate agreement with its contents.

_________________________ Date: ___________________
Rajesh Bansal

What this document is for

A Punjab or Chandigarh employer uses this for either of two related situations — a formal written warning to an employee about conduct or performance that falls short of ending their job, or a notice actually ending their employment. The form asks which of the two is needed first, and only shows the questions that branch requires.

A warning records the issue, the improvement expected, and the consequence of it continuing; a termination records the reason, the last working day, and whether notice or pay in lieu of notice is being given. Both assume the company's own disciplinary process, where one applies, has already run its course — this letter records the outcome, it does not replace that process.

Before you use this — check whether the employee is a 'workman', and that your own process has actually run

This letter records the outcome of a decision the Company has already made — it is not a substitute for making that decision properly. A final warning or a misconduct-based termination should be issued only once the Company's own disciplinary process — a show-cause notice, a genuine opportunity for the employee to respond, an inquiry where one is called for — has actually been completed; the letter's own line that it follows the Company's disciplinary procedure is only accurate if that process genuinely happened first.

Whether the employee is a 'workman' under section 2(s) of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 can matter a great deal, particularly for a termination on account of redundancy: that status can trigger retrenchment compensation under section 25F and, depending on the establishment's size, a requirement for prior permission or notice to the government under Chapter V-B. A contractual notice period, or pay in lieu of it, does not by itself satisfy either obligation, and the Punjab Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, 1958 — as it applies in Punjab and as extended to Chandigarh — may separately prescribe its own minimum notice or discharge procedure worth checking against the option chosen here.

Stamp paper and registration

Stamp paper needed

No

Typical stamp duty — Punjab

Not chargeable — this is a notice on the Company's letterhead, not an instrument creating or transferring any right, so the template states plainly that no stamp duty applies under the Indian Stamp Act, 1899.

Typical stamp duty — Chandigarh

Same position in Chandigarh, for the same reason — the template states no stamp duty applies there either, since it is a notice rather than a chargeable instrument.

Registration at the Sub-Registrar

No — Not registrable — section 17 of the Registration Act, 1908 has no application to a letter of this kind, in Punjab or in Chandigarh.

Notary or witnesses

Not required. Deliver it by hand against acknowledgement, or by registered post or a dated email, and keep proof of delivery — a notary adds nothing to it. If it is handed over in a meeting, having a second Company representative present as an observer is good practice, not a legal requirement, and that person signs only as a note-taker, not as an attesting witness.

What you will need before you start

  • The Company’s full legal name and address, and the name and designation of whoever actually has the authority to discipline or dismiss staff
  • The employee's full legal name, address, designation and employee ID if the Company uses one
  • Whether this is a warning or a termination — the form only asks the questions the chosen branch needs
  • For a warning: the conduct or performance issue and the improvement expected, whether it is a first or a final warning, and what happens if it continues
  • For a termination: the reason, the last working day, and whether notice or pay in lieu of notice is being given
  • Confirmation that the Company's own disciplinary process — a show-cause notice, a genuine chance to respond, an inquiry where one applies — has actually been completed before a final warning or a misconduct-based termination is issued

Common mistakes

  • Issuing a final warning or a misconduct-based termination before the Company's own disciplinary process has actually been completed — the letter's recital that it follows that procedure is only true if it genuinely happened.
  • Choosing the "no notice or pay in lieu" termination option without the underlying misconduct facts to support it — a wrong route here can itself expose the Company to a claim, particularly where the employee is a "workman" under the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947.
  • Treating a contractual notice period, or pay in lieu of it, as the end of the analysis for a redundancy termination — it does not by itself satisfy retrenchment compensation or government-notice obligations that can apply separately under the Industrial Disputes Act.

Questions people ask before using this document

Does a termination or warning letter need to be stamped in Punjab or Chandigarh?

No. The template this letter is grounded in states plainly that it is not chargeable to stamp duty under the Indian Stamp Act, 1899, in either place, because it is a notice rather than an instrument creating or transferring any right. Issue it on the Company’s letterhead — no stamp paper or e-stamp is needed.

Does it matter whether the employee is a 'workman' under labour law?

Yes, potentially a great deal, especially for a termination on account of redundancy. If the employee qualifies as a "workman" under section 2(s) of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, redundancy can trigger retrenchment compensation under section 25F and, depending on the establishment’s size, a requirement for prior permission or notice to the government under Chapter V-B — obligations a contractual notice period or pay in lieu of it does not by itself satisfy. This is exactly the kind of question worth putting to a lawyer before the letter goes out.

Can we issue a final warning or a misconduct-based termination straight away?

Only once the Company’s own disciplinary process — a show-cause notice, a genuine opportunity for the employee to respond, an inquiry where one is called for — has actually been completed. This letter records that outcome; its recital that the letter follows "the Company’s disciplinary procedure" is only accurate if that procedure genuinely happened first.

Do we have to give notice, or can we pay in lieu of it?

The letter offers both as separate choices — continuing the employee on full pay through a stated notice period, or paying in lieu of that same period and ending employment immediately — plus a third option for a misconduct termination where the Company’s position is that no notice or pay in lieu is due. Which applies depends on the appointment letter or employment agreement’s own notice terms and the facts of the case, not a free choice on the day.

What is the difference between issuing a warning and a termination on this document?

The form asks which of the two you need as its first question and only shows the fields that branch requires. A warning records the issue, the improvement expected and the consequence of it continuing, without ending employment; a termination records the reason, the last working day, and the notice or pay position, and does end it.

Related documents, and when you would need them

  • Experience/Relieving Letter

    The certificate to issue once the exit is actually complete — this letter ends or warns about the employment; that one records the exit afterward.

  • Appointment Letter

    The appointment letter whose own notice period this letter's notice-or-pay-in-lieu wording is meant to match.

  • Employment Agreement

    Where the relationship runs on a fuller employment agreement rather than just an appointment letter, check its notice and disciplinary terms against this letter before issuing it.

  • Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA)

    If a separate confidentiality or non-solicitation agreement was signed during the employment, check whether its obligations survive the termination before treating the matter as closed.

Questions about this document

Does the Termination/Warning Letter need stamp paper or stamp duty in Punjab and Chandigarh?

Not chargeable to stamp duty under the Indian Stamp Act, 1899, whether issued in Punjab or in the Union Territory of Chandigarh — it is a notice, not an instrument creating or transferring any right.

See the full position on stamp duty, registration and witnesses
Does the Termination/Warning Letter need registration in Punjab and Chandigarh?

Not registrable.

See the full position on stamp duty, registration and witnesses
What does the Termination/Warning Letter cost on Kagaznama?

Free.

Documents are free. Only kits are paid.

Does the Termination/Warning Letter need witnesses?

None needed for the letter itself.

See the full position on stamp duty, registration and witnesses

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