Disciplinary hearing invitation letter template
The letter an employer sends to invite an employee to a formal disciplinary hearing. It sets out the allegations, the date, time and place of the hearing, the evidence enclosed, what the outcome could be, and the right to bring a companion. It is sent after an investigation has found a case to answer, and before any decision is made.
Adapted from Acas (6 February 2025). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
What changes each time
10 values. Everything else is your wording, kept exactly.
The hearing
- Employee's name
- Hearing date
- Hearing time
- Hearing location
- Manager's name
The case
- What the hearing could lead to
- Allegations, one per item
- Enclosed evidence, one per document
- Possible disciplinary action
- Notice needed of the companion's name
The rules it usually needs
Written in plain English when the template is set up.
- One of several wordings
“Possible warning or possible dismissal: the heading and the consequences paragraph follow the choice.”
The investigation recommended a hearing for a possible warning, so the letter is headed "possible warning" and lists the warnings it could lead to.
- Once for each item
“A bullet for each allegation.”
Two allegations in the investigation report, two bullets in the letter.
- Once for each item
“A bullet for each document enclosed.”
Six documents enclosed, six bullets.
One worked example, start to finish
The disciplinary hearing invitation letter in DocuWeave, from upload to approval.
1The document uploaded
The Acas notice of disciplinary hearing letter, a Word file, uploaded as it is.
- 2
The template it became
It found 9 sections and 11 values and asked 2 questions. The allegations and the evidence became lists, a bullet per item.
3The paperwork dropped in
The investigation report, the hearing arrangements email, a witness statement and a short typed note.
4What was found, with sources
All 11 values filled from the paperwork, each with the passage it came from.
5What it asked
One thing for a person: the report and the email listed the evidence differently.
6The approved output
Approved, with Word and PDF downloads of exactly what was approved.
A free disciplinary hearing invitation letter to download
- Disciplinary hearing invitation letter, filled with fictional details (Word)
- Disciplinary hearing invitation letter, filled with fictional details (PDF)
Use it as it is, or upload it to DocuWeave and make it a template.
DocuWeave is not a law firm. A general template for common situations in England and Wales. It is not tailored to you and we do not update it when the law changes, so check it suits your situation before you use it. Terms.
Adapted from Acas (6 February 2025). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Questions people ask
What should a disciplinary hearing invitation letter include?
The Acas Code of Practice says the employee should be told in writing what the alleged misconduct or poor performance is and its possible consequences, be given copies of any written evidence, and be told the time and place of the hearing and that they may be accompanied.
Who can accompany the employee to a disciplinary hearing?
A worker has the right to be accompanied by a colleague, a trade union representative, or an official employed by a trade union who is certified as able to act as a companion.
How much notice of the hearing should the employee get?
The Acas Code says the employee should have reasonable time to prepare their case. The law does not set a fixed number of days, so many employers set a period in their own disciplinary procedure.
What if the hearing could lead to dismissal?
Say so in the letter. Choose the "possible dismissal" wording and the heading and the consequences paragraph change with it, so the employee knows what is at stake.
Can I use my company's own letter instead?
Yes. Upload your own Word or PDF letter and DocuWeave turns it into a template in your wording, with the same lists and choices.
Use this template
It opens in DocuWeave as a template you can check, change and publish. Nothing is used until you do.