The right to be accompanied means that an employee or worker can bring a 'relevant person' with them to a disciplinary or grievance meeting. This person is officially referred to as your companion.Oct 25, 2019
Private sector employers have vast discretion with regard to the implementation of discipline and management of employees. No law requires them to allow a representative to accompany you at a disciplinary meeting.Oct 21, 2013
There's no legal right to be accompanied by a solicitor to a disciplinary hearing, but in recent cases the courts have indicated this may be allowed if the outcome could threaten the employee's career.
Under s. 10 of the Employment Relations Act 1999, the companion must be permitted to address the hearing in order to put the worker's case, sum up the case and respond on the worker's behalf to any view expressed at the hearing. They must also be permitted to confer with the worker during the hearing.
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If you do refuse to attend the meeting, then your employer can (and quite possibly will) discipline you, and it may make it more difficult to pursue a legitimate legal claim.Oct 11, 2016
The right to be accompanied In a disciplinary investigation meeting, there is no legal right to be accompanied but it's good practice for employers to allow it.
If you fail to attend the meeting and don't have a reasonable excuse for not attending, the meeting may go ahead without you and you will not be able to put your case.
There is no general right to legal representation at disciplinary hearings; under s. 10 of the Employment Relations Act 1999 employees are entitled to be accompanied only by a workplace colleague or a trade union representative.
A companion is one who serves as a friend or partner in something. Whether it's travel or dinner or card-playing, your companion is the one who does it with you. The word companion is a close, um, companion to the word company, and you might as well say that someone you keep company with is your companion.
Decide on representation and which witnesses and other evidence you'd like to use to defend yourself; Prepare questions for both the employer's witnesses and your witnesses; Put forward clear-cut evidence that acquits you from the allegations; and. Prepare your closing statement.
The employee must choose their companion from one of the following: a work colleague. a workplace trade union representative who's certified or trained in acting as a companion. an official employed by a trade union.