Warnings: oral or written?
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Why do we start with oral warnings and then move to written ones in a progressive warning situation? And the answer is not to do with evidence for a tribunal; that is incidental to the warning process. It is about effective communication.
For many situations, speaking with someone will do the trick; the message gets home and the problem is therefore resolved. Making the matter any more formal may, in many cases, be counter-productive.
However, if the employee does not get the message, the employer must try a different way. The object of a written warning is that the member of staff should take more notice if the warning is written down, and can be seen in black and white.