Dear Colleague,

BT DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURE

The company has implemented an amended disciplinary procedure without agreement with the union.

Amongst the changes, there is one of particular concern. A record of an informal warning will now be made in an individual's one to one notes. This may be unlawful given the denial of the right to be accompanied at a hearing or fact-finding interview.

These records may form a permanent record and may be used as evidence in the formal disciplinary procedure.

Therefore, it is important to ensure that objections are recorded to this non-agreed procedure either during or after one to one interviews. An objection should also be recorded in the formal disciplinary process if evidential use is made of one to one notes that record an informal warning.

Please do not hesitate ring the branch office if you require advice about this matter.

We are waiting for further legal clarification about this matter and urgent efforts are being made to reinstate the position of an agreed disciplinary code that should be consistent with ACAS guidelines.

Yours sincerely,

Nick Darbyshire
Branch Vice-Chair