Disciplinary & Grievance
Disciplinary Procedure
The purpose of the Disciplinary Procedure is to outline a recognised and consistent system to deal with issues of conduct, capability or other circumstances, which may result in a disciplinary warning or dismissal.
The Disciplinary Procedure does not form part of your contract of employment for the first year of continuous employment.
At any stage of the Disciplinary Procedure you may be suspended, on full pay, whilst investigations are carried out. This does not mean that you have been, or will be found guilty of any particular offence or act of misconduct.
If it is necessary for the Organisation to take action under the Disciplinary Procedure you will be issued with a written statement setting out the nature of the conduct, capability or other circumstances that may result in a disciplinary warning or dismissal. You will only be issued with a disciplinary warning or dismissed following a formal disciplinary meeting, at which you will have been given the right to be accompanied by a fellow employee or an accredited trade union official. You should take all reasonable steps to attend the meeting. Throughout the Disciplinary Procedure you will be given the opportunity to respond to any complaint before any decision on a disciplinary warning or dismissal is taken.
The Organisation may commence the Disciplinary Procedure, depending on the circumstances, at any of the following levels:
Verbal warning.
A record of the verbal warning will be placed in your personnel file for 6 months.
Written warning.
A written warning will be issued and a copy placed in your personnel file for 12 months.
Final written warning.
A final written warning will be issued and a copy placed in your personnel file indefinitely
Dismissal.
Dismissal may be with or without notice depending on the circumstances, and may occur whether or not warnings have been issued. You will be entitled to appeal against any disciplinary or dismissal decision taken, such appeal being held in accordance with the Appeal Procedure, which is detailed below.
Appeal Procedure
The Appeal Procedure does not form part of your contract of employment for the first year of continuous employment.
If you wish to appeal against any disciplinary warning or decision to dismiss, you should apply in writing within 5 working days. You will be invited to attend a meeting and you should take all reasonable steps to attend.
You should address your appeal to the Human Resources Manager in the first instance, as set out in the Appeal Procedure, which is contained in your Statement of Main Terms of Employment.
You will be given the opportunity to be accompanied at the meeting by a fellow employee or accredited trade union official. After the appeal meeting you will be informed of the decision.
Grievance Procedure
Where you have a grievance relating to any aspect of your employment you should have no hesitation in raising the matter informally with your immediate Line Manager, as stated in your Statement of Main Terms of Employment. If you wish to make a formal grievance it must be set out in writing.
It is the Organisation’s intention to consider all grievances as soon as possible, and a meeting will be held, usually within 5 days of you raising the grievance. The meeting will enable you to give full details.
You are entitled to be accompanied by a fellow employee or accredited trade union official at the grievance hearing.
It may not be appropriate to take up your grievance with your immediate Line Manager if your grievance is about that person. In this case you should raise it with a more senior member of management, or, if not possible, another member of management at the same level.
After the meeting and any investigation process, the Manager will inform you of his or her decision in response to the grievance. You have the right to appeal against this decision.
If you wish to appeal, you must inform the Organisation in writing. You will then be invited to attend another meeting, after which you will be informed of the final decision.
