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

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