Can HR Chair Disciplinary Meetings

Disciplinary meetings are typically held to determine what sort of disciplinary action would be appropriate to take ‘against‘ an employee that has committed an infraction.

Usually the investigating manager determines the action that is required but in any case HR can/must be present to ensure that certain standards are followed as well as to help rule on the infraction. Whoever is chairing the meeting needs to hear both sides of the story and take into account the required justice that needs to be served.

In a disciplinary meeting the employee is able to state their side of the case. The disciplinary panel or HR who is ruling over the case will then decide which actions should be taken in order for the issue to be mediated. Anyone involved who is important to the case will also be present.

An HR member and the investigating manager will then fairly decide whether disciplinary action must be taken or if the case should simply be dismissed. Prior to the hearing there are documents, which a business must provide which go over what is expected in the meeting and the employee who committed the violation must also be made aware of these guidelines.

The HR chair must make sure that the employee has been informed of their rights in the current disciplinary situation and whether or not it would like a legal representative to accompany them. The role of the chair is to make sure that all due processes are being followed and it is easy and typically suggested that a member of HR fulfill this role. Management will also be present to offer their version of the story.

After both stories have spoken the chair will then go over their notes, consider, and reveal their disciplinary suggestion. With a member of HR as the chair of the meeting it is easy to relay the result of the meeting to any other employees who must be informed.

The chair must be able to justify their decision and in many cases let the employee know that they have the right to appeal any decision that has been made. It can be a good choice to have HR chair a disciplinary meeting but it is important that other staff members are there in order to promote transparency.

The investigating manager, or anyone else involved in the issue, is able to chair but it is best left to someone with the experience and expertise necessary, like someone from HR.

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