Every company at some time or another faces the unenviable task of carrying out a disciplinary interview or investigating a grievance. We can help you to structure these effectively in order to achieve the desired result whilst keeping yourself within the required legal framework - no one relishes the thought of ending up in an Industrial Tribunal!

Furthermore the disciplinary process should always be regarded as a 'performance management tool' and as such should be corrective rather than punitive. We can assist in writing your follow up letters and action plans, complete with SMART targets highlighting improvement areas. E-mail us directly with your request by clicking on Contact.

Conducting an investigation
There will be times when you will have to carry out an investigation into an allegation of misconduct. We can provide guidance on how to plan and conduct that investigation, together with advice on taking witness statements and appropriate notes.

Handling a disciplinary or grievance
The introduction of the new statutory grievance & disciplinary procedures in October 2004 mean that it is even more important for you to be aware of what you need to adhere to in terms of handling disciplinary and grievance situations. Conducting an effective disciplinary or grievance is never an easy task but we can provide the framework for you to follow - covering everything from the correct notice period to give, rights to representation and the format of the meeting. We can write a disciplinary/grievance procedure for you including the correct warnings sequence to follow and highlighting the categories for General and Gross Misconduct sanctions within your business. Furthermore we can advise on the writing of action plans afterwards to avoid re-occurrence coupled with advice on the Appeals procedure that you should have in place. This can include advice on how to conduct an appeal to best effect for all parties involved.

Note taking & letter writing
Note taking and letter writing are an art form in themselves and like everything else should be conducted in a professional manner. We can design documentation for you to use during the process and sample or actual letters for you to issue afterwards. We can advise you on how to take accurate witness statements and ensure you know which documentation should be given to the employee prior to the disciplinary interview taking place. We can also guide you through the correct storage of all disciplinary notes and recording of warnings on personnel files.

Related legislation
There is a wealth of legislation related to Performance Management procedures - all of which is designed to protect both you and your employees in today's increasingly litigious society. We can ensure you stay on the right side of all this legislation through advice and writing of all necessary policy documentation on your behalf.