HR documents and templates

Even in well-run businesses, it may sometimes be necessary to deal with employee's grievances or disciplinary issues, or even dismissals. Having written rules and procedures for employee grievances or disciplinary issues may help you deal with them fairly and in keeping with employment law.

Specific Employers' Handbook guidance

Further best practice advice and practical templates to help you with staff grievances, disciplinary issues and dismissals are included in the Invest Northern Ireland Employers' Handbook including:

• Section 17: Employee grievances (PDF, 71K)
• Section 18: Disciplinary issues and dismissal (PDF, 143K)

For sample templates to help you deal with grievance, discipline, and dismissal situations, see the relevant sections below.

Grievance templates

Your grievance rules and procedures should be set out in writing and follow the good practice principles set out in the Labour Relations Agency (LRA) Code of Practice on Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures.

Download our sample letters and procedures templates to help you deal with grievances in your workplace:

• sample grievance procedure (DOC, 17K)
• sample letter of invitation to investigatory meeting - employee raising a grievance (DOC, 14K)
• sample letter of invitation to investigatory meeting - person against whom a grievance is raised (DOC, 14K)

Discipline and dismissal templates

Your disciplinary rules and procedures should be set out in writing and follow the good practice principles set out in the LRA Code of Practice on Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures.

Failure to meet this requirement may result in extra compensation for the employee if they succeed in a tribunal claim.

Download our sample notices and procedures templates to help you deal with disciplinary issues in your workplace:

• sample disciplinary rules and procedures for misconduct (DOC, 29K)
• sample notice of the disciplinary meeting (DOC, 14K)
• sample notice of the recorded disciplinary warning (DOC, 14K)
• sample notice of the appeal meeting against the disciplinary warning (DOC, 14K)
• sample notice of the result of the appeal against the disciplinary warning (DOC, 14K)
• sample notice of dismissal or disciplinary action to be taken (DOC, 12K)
• sample letter to be sent by the employer after the disciplinary meeting (DOC, 15K)
• sample notice of the appeal meeting against dismissal or disciplinary action (DOC, 14K)
• sample notice of the result of the appeal against the dismissal or disciplinary action (DOC, 14K)
• sample letter to be sent by the employer, setting out the reasons for the proposed dismissal or action other than dismissal and arranging the meeting (DOC, 15K)

For further information, see handling grievances, disciplinary procedures, hearings and appeals and dismissing employees.