Introduction

Problems with employees may arise from time to time in even the best-run businesses. Occasionally you may need to take disciplinary action against employees or deal with their grievances once you have exhausted ways of preventing problems arising in the first place.

If problems do arise, deal with them rather than let them fester into resignations and/or tribunal claims. Disciplinary and grievance procedures should be an aid to good management.

New legislation requires all employers to set out their dismissal, disciplinary and grievance rules in writing for their employees. Failure to do this or to follow the new procedures when dismissing an employee will result in extra compensation for the employee and the dismissal being held as automatically unfair.

This guide is designed to show what you need to put in your procedures, how to handle disciplinary and grievance issues in practice, and the disciplinary action available to you.

Subjects covered in this guide

• Introduction
• Discipline and grievance procedures and the employment contract
• Setting out disciplinary rules
• The disciplinary and dismissals procedure
• Investigating disciplinary matters
• Preparing for a disciplinary hearing
• Holding a disciplinary hearing
• Types of disciplinary action
• the grievance procedure
• Handling a grievance
• Appeals against disciplinary/grievance decisions