Guide to Disciplinary Procedures

If you want to issue an employee with a formal warning then it is important that you arrange a
formal disciplinary hearing. This is one of the key parts of the ACAS Code of Practice on Disciplinary
Procedures; it provides the employee with an opportunity to defend the allegations made against
them before the employer makes a final decision.

The employee should be invited to the hearing by way of written invitation. The invite letter should:

1. Set out the allegations against the employee
2. Inform the employee of the maximum sanction under consideration, e.g. is dismissal a
   possible outcome
3. Detail who the disciplinary manager is and where and when the hearing will be held
4. Explain that the employee can be accompanied by a trade union representative or colleague
5. Enclose copies of the documentation that will be relied on

We have produced a template invitation to disciplinary hearing letter which you can download for
free. When you download the letter you will receive:

• The template letter in Word format so you can easily edit it
• A step by step guide to completing the letter
• A detailed guide to conducting disciplinary proceedings with tips on best practice

Download your Invitation to Disciplinary Hearing Letter here

Other documents you may find useful:

• Confirmation of formal verbal warning
• Confirmation of first written warning
• Confirmation of final written warning
• Confirmation of dismissal
• Confirmation of summary dismissal
• Confirmation of dismissal – under 2 years service