Meetings with management

Practical tips to help when asked to attend an urgent meeting with the head or principal at short notice without being given an agenda or an indication of its purpose.

Workers have a statutory right to be accompanied by a colleague or trade union official where they are required or invited by their employer to attend certain disciplinary or grievance hearings. We believe disabled employees and others who may be vulnerable because of other protected characteristics (e.g. an employee for whom English is not a first language) should be accompanied in any event if the absence of a companion would leave them unfairly disadvantaged.

What is a disciplinary hearing?

The Advisory Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) guidance on disciplinary and grievance procedures, defines a disciplinary hearing as one that could result in:

a formal warning being issued to an employee (i.e. a warning that will be placed on the employee's record)
the taking of some other disciplinary action (such as suspension without pay, demotion or dismissal)
the confirmation of a warning or some other disciplinary action (such as an appeal hearing). Your employer's disciplinary procedures should be readily available, normally in the staff handbook.

What is a grievance hearing?

The ACAS guidance defines a grievance hearing as a meeting at which an employer deals with a complaint about a duty owed by them to an employee, whether the duty arises from statute or common law (e.g. contractual commitments).

Your employer's grievance procedures should be readily available, normally in the staff handbook.

Model policies / checklists

These model policies and checklists can be used to ensure workplace policies meet the NEU's expectations.

Disciplinary procedures model policy

The aim of this model policy on disciplinary procedures is to provide a framework that schools can adopt to help and encourage all employees to achieve and maintain appropriate standards of behaviour and conduct.

Grievance procedures model policy

The aim of this model policy on grievance procedures is to provide a framework that schools can adopt to allow staff to resolve grievances relating to their employment as quickly and as fairly as possible.

What if the meeting is neither a disciplinary nor grievance hearing?

In this instance, you do not have the right to take a colleague or union rep along although you can ask if you can take such a person with you. This will be considered at the employer's discretion.

If it becomes clear during the meeting that disciplinary action may be called for, you should ask that the meeting is closed and rearranged to allow you to be accompanied by a colleague or union rep.

How should I prepare for, and conduct myself during, the meeting?

The following tips should help you get the most from the meeting:

ask for a brief agenda of items to be raised
take a notebook and pen
note the time and location of the meeting and the names of those present
make sure the agenda is adhered to
if asked questions that you cannot immediately answer, ask for time to check your records and consider your response; this may mean getting back to the head or principal at a later date
try not to become or appear defensive
do not be tempted to make a covert recording of the meeting
be wary of filling in any awkward silences
keep calm - do not lose your temper
do not allow yourself to be bullied - if you feel intimidated by body language/raised voices/'ganging up', say so; if you begin to feel upset, ask for an adjournment
you are entitled to bring a meeting to a close and leave if you do not wish to continue but if you can, try to stay calm and get to the conclusion of the discussion
if concerns are being raised about your performance or conduct, ask what evidence there is to substantiate them
at the end of the meeting make sure you summarise the main points and conclusions (including any assurances of support/training) and request a copy of any policies and/or procedures that management are following
in the unlikely event you are suspended, ask what colleagues will be told about your absence and contact the NEU for guidance
after the meeting, try to organise and flesh out your notes in more detail, and file them somewhere safe and accessible.

I am a school/college rep. What can I do to help protect my school/college group?

You can review your school/college’s disciplinary and grievance policies - do they allow interviewees to be accompanied to an investigation meeting? If not, seek to negotiate such provision into the disciplinary and grievance policies.

Companions are typically trade union reps/officials, or workplace colleagues, but you should ask the employer, where appropriate, to allow a personal friend or family member to be the companion in certain circumstances (e.g. where the member has significant health issues).

What if the meeting did not go well?

If you have any concerns about the content of the meeting or the manner in which it was conducted, speak to the NEU rep at your school, your branch/district secretary or contact the union’s AdviceLine ph: 0345 811 8111.

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