Notice of suspension letter template
Our Notice of Suspension Letter Template ensures a formal and clear communication during employee suspension, preserving procedural fairness.
This letter is used to confirm an employees suspension while a disciplinary investigation takes place.
5 mins
What is a Notice of suspension letter?
A Notice of Suspension Letter informs an employee of their temporary suspension while an investigation into an allegation takes place. It states the reasons for suspension, the duration, and employee rights. The letter ensures clear communication and compliance during the suspension period, kept on record by the employer.
As soon as reasonably possible after an allegation has been raised that would warrant suspension
The Employer (you) to the Employee
Great Britain & NI (United Kingdom), Worldwide
What steps should I take to ensure the effective, compliant execution of this letter?
Step | Description | Responsibility | Timing |
1 | Incident or Concern Arises: An incident or concern is raised, warranting an investigation or suspension. | HR/Management | N/A |
2 | Preliminary Investigation: Conduct a preliminary investigation to gather relevant information and assess the seriousness of the incident. | HR/Management | Within 1-2 working days |
3 | Suspension Decision: If necessary, the decision to suspend the employee pending a full investigation is made. | HR/Management | Within 1-2 working days after investigation |
4 | Notice of Suspension Letter: Issue a formal Notice of Suspension Letter to the employee, clearly stating the reasons for the suspension and the expected duration. | HR/Management | Within 1 working day after suspension decision |
5 | Full Investigation: Conduct a comprehensive investigation into the incident, ensuring it is fair, impartial, and timely. | HR/Management | Timely and efficiently as per complexity |
What legislation or best practices underpin this template / should I be aware of?
-
Employment Rights Act 1996: Provides guidelines on suspension as part of the disciplinary process and the right to be informed in writing.
-
Equality Act 2010: Ensures fair treatment during the disciplinary process, prohibiting discrimination based on protected characteristics during suspension.
-
ACAS Code of Practice on Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures: Offers best practices for handling disciplinary issues, including suspension, and emphasises the importance of clear communication.
-
Data Protection Act 2018: Ensures that employee data related to suspension, such as the reasons and duration, is handled securely and confidentially.
Other territories
Refer to your local employment legislation / labor laws to support the execution of the template. Review the wording for local accuracy.
Letter template
Notice of suspension [Delete this line]
[Company name]
[Sender address]
[date]
[Recipient name]
[Recipient address]
Dear [Recipient first name],
Notice of suspension
In accordance with the organisation's disciplinary rules and procedures [and following our conversation of [date]], I confirm that you are suspended on full pay pending an investigation into the allegations made against you of [describe allegation / offence]. This suspension is in order to allow us to conduct the investigation impartially and fairly, and is in no way a form of disciplinary action against you.
Once the investigation is complete, we will contact you further to arrange a meeting. In the meantime you are requested to remain available within reason should I need to contact you. I would ask that, at this stage, you do not contact any of the organisation's customers, suppliers or your work colleagues.
In the meantime, should you have any information that might be of assistance to our investigation or wish to discuss anything, please contact me, and if I am not available, contact [name].
Yours [faithfully | sincerely],
[Sender name]
[Sender job title]
[Sender telephone]
[Sender email]
What communication / process sequence is this part of?
Disciplinary hearing invitation letter template
If you are considering taking disciplinary action against an employee, issue this model disciplinary hearing invitation letter template.
- It's easily editable and implementable, saving you time and money
- It's designed by CIPD accedited Chartered HR practitioners with operational experience in this area
- You will maintain compliance with ACAS guidelines, legislation, and industry best practices
- Email notifications for any updates made to this template or its accompanying materials
- 12 months of unrestricted access without any additional costs (any update in that period is free to you)
- Complimentary HR advice and support via email for 28 days upon purchase
- A 25% discount on all library, toolkit, and template purchases/renewals