Informal Hearing at Work

brightondave

A so called 'Informal Hearing' is called between myself, my manager and the lady from HR tomorrow.
I was notified by letter a week before. I have been told that is not a disciplinary but just a discussion about allegations of misconduct and nonconformity.
I have prepared my defence and reasons and am ready for 9am tomorrow which apparently now is going to be video call because HR lady cannot attend. Is that good enough?
Also has anybody heard of an Informal Hearing and could it develop into a disciplinary when I've been told it won't, but I wouldn't trust certain people as far as I could throw them.
Any help or advice appreciated.     Thanks.

KatrinaWaves

Is what 'good enough'? It being a video call? If so, then yes, obviously.

Who told you it won't develop into a disciplinary? It could, the point of an investigatory meeting is to decide what course of action to take, one of which could be disciplinary. If the person running the meeting has said it won't that is unusual to write off one course of action before the hearing.

Brynsam

brightondave said:

A so called 'Informal Hearing' is called between myself, my manager and the lady from HR tomorrow.
I was notified by letter a week before. I have been told that is not a disciplinary but just a discussion about allegations of misconduct and nonconformity.
I have prepared my defence and reasons and am ready for 9am tomorrow which apparently now is going to be video call because HR lady cannot attend. Is that good enough?

Interesting that you have 'prepared your defence and reasons', so it sounds as if there is certainly something of substance to be discussed. A video call sounds ideal in this COVID-riddled world. Your previous thread suggests what this could be: https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6225385/bonus-is-suspended#latest

brightondave said:

Also has anybody heard of an Informal Hearing and could it develop into a disciplinary when I've been told it won't, but I wouldn't trust certain people as far as I could throw them.
Any help or advice appreciated.     Thanks.

An informal hearing is just what the name suggests. It is often held to see if there are grounds for a full disciplinary process to be instigated. If your 'defence and reasons' hold good, then that may be the end of the matter. Only you know what has been going on and how justifiable your actions or inactions have been.

Tigsteroonie

This may be semantics - the informal hearing won't result in disciplinary action but the outcome of the informal hearing might be a recommendation that a disciplinary hearing be held. The latter are more formal and you would be entitled to Union representation( if you are a member). 

oh_really

You've had plenty time to join a union since the original thread, how did that go?

Meeting, in attendance, management & HR, there's nothing informal about it, be interesting to get their understanding of informal.

brightondave

Tigsteroonie said:

This may be semantics - the informal hearing won't result in disciplinary action but the outcome of the informal hearing might be a recommendation that a disciplinary hearing be held. The latter are more formal and you would be entitled to Union representation( if you are a member). 

I was told by the manager that it was termed 'informal hearing' as he just wanted his grievances 'logged with HR and on the record.

oh_really

brightondave said:

I was told by the manager that it was termed 'informal hearing' as he just wanted his grievances 'logged with HR and on the record.

Grievance flows the other direction, from employee to employer.

Your last sentence above informs the manager wanted his grievances logged with HR and on the record yet initially the account states the meeting is of an informal variety, which is it they intend the meeting to be, it can't be both?

Does the employers disciplinary policy allow for such "informal" meetings to progress into a subsequent disciplinary being convened?

I suspect you need to be guarded against tomorrows meeting turning into a fishing expedition ahead of a disciplinary.

Sallyp2

There is no such thing as an ‘informal hearing’ especially when it’s your boss and hr together! You may want to document all points and consider taking someone in to take notes

Valgytis78

normally firms have HR policies that clearly state what the process is. It starts with an 'informal meeting', highlighting the allegations and then you trying to defend yourself (normally in big companies this is a bad signal as indicates a performance issue or even that people have complained about you); professional HR employees should record the meeting and give you the minutes afterwards. As suggested above, the informal meeting could turn into a disciplinary meeting. So check what you think you have done against all the companies HR policies as well as the disciplinary procedures. 

Undervalued

Sallyp2 said:

There is no such thing as an ‘informal hearing’ especially when it’s your boss and hr together! You may want to document all points and consider taking someone in to take notes

Which the firm do not have to allow unless it is a formal disciplinary (or grievance) meeting. The legal right to be accompanied does not extend to an investigatory or any other type of meeting.

TELLIT01

Probably more accurately referred to as 'Investigatory meeting' rather than informal.  As I understand things, the employer would need to inform the employee of the allegation in advance of formal disciplinary meeting, whereas an 'investigatory' is to try to determine whether or not there may be any basis for the allegations.

I was involved in an investigatory meeting many years ago where the questions were along the lines of "What can you tell me about....."