Discipline and Grievance Procedures

If your employer has failed to follow disciplinary procedures or you require legal advice in relation to raising a grievance please contact one of our employment law solicitors on 0845 009 0863.

Discipline Procedures

A disciplinary policy should be followed when your employer is considering any disciplinary action including dismissal. Your employer needs to adhere to his own discipline procedure but there are minimum requirements as follows:

• Your employer must set out in writing your alleged conduct or other circumstances that lead him to consider disciplinary action. You must then be sent a copy of this and be invited to a meeting to discuss.
• No action can be taken without a meeting. Neither must the meeting take place until your employer has informed you of the basis for the grounds of alleged conduct or other circumstances and before you have had the opportunity of considering a response.
• You are entitled to be accompanied to the meeting by a work colleague or trade union official. You must take all reasonable steps to attend the meeting and, once the meeting is over, your employer must inform you of a right to appeal.
• If you wish to appeal, you must inform your employer, who must invite you to an appeal meeting. You are entitled to be accompanied again and, after the meeting, your employer must inform you of the final decision.

Grievances Procedures

Grievances should be raised by following your employer's grievance procedure. Again, there are minimum requirements but your employer's grievance procedure should be followed:

• You must set out the grievance in writing and send a copy to your employer. This should make your problem reasonably clear to your employer.
• Your employer must invite you to a meeting but only if you have set out the grievance in writing and your employer has had the opportunity of considering a response. You are entitled to be accompanied by a work colleague or trade union official.
• After the meeting, your employer must inform you of the decision and notify you of your right of appeal.
• If you wish to appeal, you must inform your employer, who must invite you to a further meeting. After this meeting, your employer must inform you of the final decision.

If you require legal advice as your employer has to follow disciplinary procedures or in relation to raising a grievance please contact us on 0845 009 0863. We can even write the grievance letter on your behalf under our fixed fee scheme, should you prefer.