There is no shame in apologizing – especially when it has to do with a mistake that you made at work. Saying sorry to your employer or colleague for your mistake will set things right and you might not lose a workplace ally. However, writing an apology letter (and admitting your mistake) is never easy. But it has to be done.
While you can say sorry to the offended party in person too, it will not make the same impact as a written apology letter. Remember, you have to work with the person you have offended and it may become an uncomfortable situation if you do not apologize immediately. Your letter should be addressed specifically to the person you are apologizing and it should be concise. You do not need to go into too much detail but it is important to chart out why you are apologizing and that you will not let things come to that point again. In your letter, you might want to offer a solution in a bid to make amends.
Here is a sample apology letter written by an employee who has made a mistake.
Sample Apology Letter for Mistake at Work
March 12, 2015
Mr. Jake Edwards
Store Manager
Curtains Gallery
354 Ripplemeyer Avenue
Columbia, SC 29081
Dear Mr. Edwards:
I would like to apologize for the fiasco that occurred due to my mistake in handling Mr. Frank Bean properly yesterday. It was a mistake which had no negative motivation behind it and I assure you that I will not show such carelessness again.
While I should not be indulging in excuses at this moment, yesterday was a terribly busy day, with a lot of customer traffic and I must admit that I got overwhelmed. I understand that providing Mr. Bean with incorrect pricing information was a blunder which has cost the company a big loss and I am willing to make compensation by offering to pay this amount from my next month’s salary.
I take complete responsibility of this mistake and will take necessary steps to ensure that such a careless mistake is prevented in the future. I value the training that you have provided to me and assure you that I will not let negligence taint this training. Please let me know if there is anything that I can do to make further amends for my mistake.
Thank you for your invaluable support.
Kind regards,
Gloria Phillips
Gloria Phillips
Sales Representative
Curtains Gallery