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Making disciplinary hearings accessible
Disciplinary hearings: Agree arrangements that help the employee understand the case and take part meaningfully.
Anonymised practice examples drawn from cases handled by our team.
Disciplinary hearings: practical approach
A practical approach should identify the participation barrier with the employee and agree how the hearing will address it. This could involve document format, language assistance, breaks, a suitable support person or a different meeting arrangement. The decision should record what was requested, what will be provided and why an alternative was chosen where relevant.
What to check and record
The hearing plan should then connect these arrangements to the employee’s opportunity to understand the case and respond to it. A checklist entry stating that accompaniment was offered does not establish that an appropriate companion could attend or that the evidence was accessible.
Learning for managers
Judge arrangements by the barrier they remove. Different employees may need different support. Agree practical participation arrangements while limiting unnecessary disclosure of medical information.
Manager checklist
- Ask about participation barriers
- Agree accessible information and support
- Allow preparation and breaks
- Record the arrangement and employee response
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Further reading
Acas: disciplinary and grievance procedures
General guidance for Great Britain. Use the relevant policy and advice for a live case.
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