This section of the Employee Handbook does not form part of your Contract of Employment.

Step 1: Statement of grounds for action and invitation to meeting.

• Your alleged conduct or characteristics, or other circumstances, which lead us to contemplate dismissing or taking disciplinary action against you, will be set out in writing.
• This statement, or a copy of it, will be sent to you and you will be invited to attend a meeting to discuss the matter.

Step 2: Meeting.

• The meeting will take place before action is taken, except in the case where disciplinary action consists of suspension.
• The meeting will not take place unless:
(a) you have been informed what the basis was for including in the statement, under Step 1, the ground or grounds in it; and
(b) you have had a reasonable opportunity to consider your response to that information.
• You must take all reasonable steps to attend the meeting.
• If you fail to attend a meeting of which you have had reasonable notice, the meeting may take place in your absence at the date and time it had been booked.
• After the meeting, you will be informed of the decision and notified of the right to appeal against the decision if you are not satisfied with it.

Step 3: Appeal.

• If you wish to appeal, you must inform us.
• If you inform us of your wish to appeal, you will be invited to attend a further meeting.
• You must take all reasonable steps to attend the meeting.
• The appeal meeting need not take place before the dismissal or disciplinary action takes effect.
• After the appeal meeting you will be informed of the final decision.

General Requirements:

The following requirements will be adhered to in respect of the above procedures (so far as applicable):

• Each step and action under the procedure will be taken without unreasonable delay.
• Timing and location of meetings will be reasonable.
• Meetings will be conducted in a manner that enables both parties to explain their cases.
• In the case of appeal meetings, which are not the first meeting, we will, so far as is reasonably practicable, be represented by a more senior manager than attended the first meeting (unless the most senior manager attended that meeting).