Apologizing is never easy. When you make a mistake at work, you may worry your boss is going to fire you. A good way to smooth over the tension is to write an apology letter, informing your employer that you are aware you did something wrong and will strive to do better in the future.It is possible to rectify certain mistakes. Others may be a bit more challenging to resolve, and in those instances, it is good to maintain a strong relationship with your boss by ensuring your letter is properly written. If you fail to do so, you may ruin your relationship, your employment prospects, potential promotions, or more.We offer apology letter for mistake at work templates to help guide you through the writing process. You will see how to word this message and how to format it.
Apology Letter for Mistake at Work Template
Maria LaSalle had an important project to send back to a client by October 15th. However, she misread her calendar and thought the project did not have to be submitted until October 25th. Once her boss had to tell her the project was past due, she got to work and managed to get it in by October 20th. It is unclear at this moment whether the relationship with the client is permanently damaged, but Maria wants to make amends with her employer.
Dear Mrs. Brown,
Please accept this apology letter for the mistake I made handling the Brenton project. I apologize profusely for what happened, and you have my word it will never occur again.
I misread my calendar and thought I had until the 25th of October to complete the project. Therefore, I thought I could delay the Brenton account and focus on other pressing matters. I do not offer this story as an excuse, but merely to tell you where I went wrong. It was a silly mistake on my end, and I will ensure I do better with all our clients.
I accept full responsibility for this situation. If you feel the need to suspend my employment temporarily or take away my commission on the account, then please feel free to do so. I am also in the process of writing a detailed apology letter to the people at Brenton Industries to inform them of the situation. I understand at this point it is uncertain if they will continue doing business with us, and I will do everything in my power to keep them on as clients.
I hope you can forgive me, and I hope to prove through my work that I only want the absolute best for all our clients.
Sincerely,
Maria LaSalle
How To Write an Apology Letter for Mistake at Work
Mistakes are bound to happen at one point or another. Some of them are minor inconveniences, and an apology letter is simply nice to offer to show you recognize you did something wrong. However, sometimes mistakes have huge ramifications, and in these cases, an apology letter could potentially save your job. Either way, there are key components you need in this letter no matter what.
First, once you realize a mistake was made, you will want to quickly write up and send in the letter to your employer. The sooner you write up the letter, you quicker you can put this incident behind you.
Make the apology as clear as possible in the first few lines. There is no reason to beat around the bush, and you should even clearly use the phrase, “I apologize.” When you say you are sorry, you should take on the full weight of the blame.
You do not want to try to shift blame by saying you would not have made the mistake if someone else did something differently, but you should explain what happened to lead to the mistake so your employer can better understand how you went wrong. The point here is to show you are a professional and can learn from your mistakes.
Finally, end your letter similarly to the apology letter for mistake at work template. You want to make it clear this mistake will not happen again and what you plan to do to ensure that happens. This ends your letter strongly and will leave your employer with a positive impression.
What To Avoid in Your Apology Letter for Mistake at Work
A big mistake you should avoid is making the apology letter too long. It should not be any longer than a page. The reason for this is that if it gets too long, then the main message becomes lost. You also do not want to ramble because it will seem as though you want to shift the blame. Keep it short and simply stick to the facts.
Trying to shift blame is one of the worst things you can do on any apology letter. Be careful you do not do this subtly either by framing your claims passively and removing yourself from the action, such as, “the calendar was misread.” If you are worried you will do this, then simply make a definitive statement. At the beginning of the letter write, “I apologize,” and then state what you did wrong. You never want something along the lines of, “I apologize, but.”
How To Follow Up After Sending Your Apology Letter for Mistake at Work
Once you send the apology letter, you want to wait a day or two so that your employer can digest the information. After some time, you want to meet with your boss in person to discuss the situation. During this meeting, you can repeat how you are sorry and what you are willing to do to fix the mistake. At this point, your boss will say whether he or she forgives you. Your boss will also say what you can do to make up for the mistake, which can include working extra hours. Whatever it is, make it clear you are willing to do it. Do not say things in the apology letter to remedy the situation you are not actually willing to do.
Top 5 Apology Letter for Mistake at Work Writing Takeaways
1. Keep the letter formal
Even if you are on friendly terms with your boss, an apology letter is not the time to be cute or informal. Address your boss by “Mr.” or “Mrs.” even if you would ordinarily address him or her on a first name basis.
2. Make your apology clear
An apology letter is not the time to beat around the bush. Apologize by taking on the full brunt of the blame. You also want this apology to come at the very beginning of the letter.
3. Show you understand the situation
A good-sized chunk of the letter needs to involve you explaining you understand what happened. You also want to lay out what the consequences could be. This shows your employer you are well aware of what happened because it will decrease the likelihood of this happening again.
4. Present a plan of action
An employer is more willing to forgive you if he or she is confident this will not happen again. The only way an employer can do that is by receiving a plan of action from you.
5. Make your apology sincere
There is no need to go overboard. Employers know when employees are not being truthful or are not really sorry. Simply state your case and ask for forgiveness.
