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employment misconduct

Investigating employee misconduct – how to get it right.

16th May 2022 by Alana Penkethman

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‘Being dismissed for misconduct can have a devastating impact on an employee’s future job opportunities,’ says Alana Penkethman, employment law expert with Laceys Solicitors. ‘Before fairly dismissing someone for misconduct, employers must be able to show that they reasonably believe that the employee is guilty of misconduct. A fair investigation is therefore the cornerstone of a fair process.’ Alana explains how to get investigations right.  

First things first: check your procedure

Employers should have a disciplinary procedure that complies with the Acas Code of Practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures. If the dismissal results in an employment tribunal claim, the tribunal will assess whether you followed the code. If not, the dismissal is likely to be unfair and damages awarded to the individual may be increased by up to 25 per cent. If your procedure goes beyond the requirements of the code or the law, for example, by allowing employees to be accompanied at investigation meetings, the tribunal will most likely expect you to comply with your procedure.

Who investigates?

Consider who will play which role in the process. Your policy may address this. The investigator must appear impartial, so this would usually rule out anyone who is likely to be a key witness in the investigation or who could be embroiled in the allegations. Preferably, different individuals should carry out the investigation and the disciplinary hearing. Bear in mind that you also need to keep a more senior individual out of the process so that they can remain ‘untainted’ to hear any appeal. This can be tricky in smaller organisations, particularly if the employee is in a senior role. We can advise you on how to deal with this and whether it would be worth bringing in an external investigator.

What is a reasonable investigation?

A tribunal will expect you to carry out a reasonable investigation promptly. What is reasonable will depend on the circumstances. A misconduct dismissal can end a career or result in an employee losing their right to work in the UK. The more serious the allegation and the more serious the consequences for the employee, the more thorough the investigation should be.

The investigator must keep an open mind; they are not building a case against an employee, rather they are seeking to establish the facts. This means exploring issues that are in the employee’s favour, not just those that support the allegations. Making sure that the investigation is thorough, whilst ensuring the process does not drag on, can be a difficult balancing act. In some cases, it may be enough for the investigator to just gather evidence without speaking to any witnesses, but in almost all cases, it will be necessary to meet with the employee.

As a rule of thumb, if the employee is ‘caught red handed’, minimal investigation should suffice. Even if an employee admits the misconduct, it may still be appropriate to investigate. For example, an investigation may be needed if it is suggested that the employee’s line manager condoned their behaviour, or the employee is vulnerable.

Who to speak to?

If there were potential witnesses to the alleged misconduct, the investigator should consider speaking to them, including those suggested by the employee. The investigator may need to speak to individuals outside the organisation. Uncomfortable as this may be, this could involve speaking to clients, customers or suppliers. We can advise you on whether this would be necessary and how to protect confidentiality.

Next: consider the surrounding circumstances

Employees may point out that their behaviour was due to a health condition or a side-effect of medication, for example aggressive or erratic behaviour. Even if this seems implausible to the investigator, it should be investigated, usually by referring the employee to an occupational health specialist. Otherwise, not only could the tribunal find the dismissal unfair, it could determine that the failure amounts to disability discrimination.

Finally: prepare an investigation report

It is good practice to produce an investigation report for the disciplining manager to consider. The report should reach conclusions on what facts have been established and which have not. The investigator should recommend if it should proceed under the disciplinary procedure or not. It is important to keep distinct the role of the investigator and the disciplining manager. This means that the investigator should not recommend any particular sanctions.

How we can help:

There are no hard and fast rules on getting an investigation right. Given the importance of an investigation, we recommend getting in touch. We can advise you on the process, planning an investigation, the scope of the investigation and drawing up a report to minimise the risk of a successful claim for unfair dismissal.

For further information, please contact Alana in the employment team on 01202 377872 or email a.penkethman@laceyssolicitors.co.uk.

This article is for general information only and does not constitute legal or professional advice. Please note that the law may have changed since this article was published

Alana Penkethman

Associate — Corporate and Commercial

Direct dial: 01202 377872

Email

  • “It’s a comfort to be able to rely on people who are professional and honest in their approach, having had to face a situation with difficult requirements for the first time it was always going to be challenging. Alana advised us all the way through, provided highly professional advise and options and helped guide us through to a successful end. We are truly happy with the service and will continue to use Alana and Laceys as needed.”

    Derek Wright

  • “I used Laceys for an employment related matter and was extremely satisfied with the service that they provided. Alana was everything that I could have hoped for: calm, professional, objective, reassuring and empathetic. I would not hesitate to recommend them.”

    Rick Nurse

  • “Alana helped me through a extremely difficult and emotional period in a professional and supportive manner. The process was over swiftly and I am very satisfied with the service, so thank you for everything.”

    Bradley Thompson

  • “At the outset Alana understood what I required. Explained the process, and delivered on the service. I was very happy with the process and outcome.”

    Andrew Taylor

Alana is an Associate in our Corporate and Commercial team and is an expert employment lawyer. She advises businesses and individuals on matters arising from recruitment to termination.

Alana provides pragmatic advice, ensuring problems are resolved as quickly as possible, and in turn minimising disruption and stress to both parties. When litigation is unavoidable, Alana excels in negotiations and will deliver robust representation.

Since qualification in 2011, Alana has developed a specialism in discrimination matters, and is passionate about equality in the workplace.

When Alana is not working, she enjoys flying with a hot air balloon team and is a keen cyclist. She also enjoys live music and plays the saxophone.

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