Who will you have to accompany you at the meeting, another manager?

Advise the employee of their right to be accompanied, and ask them to advise you of their choice.

You may or may not decide to set out in writing the exact nature of the accusation.

Gather together all appropriate paperwork, which may include:

Personnel file for the employee

Written statement of what is alleged

Written evidence to support the allegation

Job description

Records on performance eg time sheets, sales figures, customer complaints.

Consider what you hope to achieve

Help the individual to improve?

Set an example?

Start dismissal procedures for an employee who has failed to respond to earlier warnings or has committed ‘gross misconduct’?

During the interview

Give the individual and his/her companion every opportunity to present their case. Allow plenty of time for them to speak freely.

Do not give any indication that you have already made up your mind on what has happened or what the penalty should be.

After you have heard everything they have to say, you can decide whether the alleged offence is true. You may disclose your decision during the interview or later. You can also decide the penalty, again you need not disclose this during the interview.