The concept of progressive discipline states that penalties must be appropriate to the violation. If inappropriate behaviour is minor in the nature and has not previously occurred, an oral warning may be sufficient. If the violation requires a written warning, it must be done according to a procedure. After written warnings, if the conduct of the employee is still not along desired lines, serious punitive steps could be initiated. In the case of major violations such as hitting a supervisor may justify the termination of an employee immediately. In order to assist a manager to recognize the proper level of disciplinary action, some firms have formalized the procedure. One approach is the establishment of progressive disciplinary action.