correct expression

[Hanka]

Hi,

could you please tell me whether it is an "offence" or "misdemeanour" or something else if an employee fails to meet the requirements of his supervisor, fails to perform his duties etc.?

E.g.:
General examples of the grounds for a notice given by the employer to the employee that would normally not result in a termination of employment in case of the first misdemeanour, but may result therein in case of repeated misdemeanours include: ......

Thank you very much.

Hanka

[mykwyner]

There may be regional differences, but in the US, the word misdemeanor is only used to describe a type of minor crime that is punishable by less than one year in jail. This is in opposition to a felony which is a major crime punishable by more than one year in prison.

An offense (or offence Br. sp.) is anything that offends, and would be the word I would use in your example.

Also suitable are: infraction or violation