Consultation on changes to UCL Disciplinary policy and procedure

In response to the policy review requested by the Human Resources Policy Committee (HRPC), a new UCL Disciplinary policy and procedure has been drafted.

It is proposed that this will replace all the existing disciplinary policies (UCL Disciplinary policy http://www.ucl.ac.uk/hr/docs/disciplinary_procedure.php and any others transferred under TUPE). This does not impact on Statute 18.

The draft policy determines the procedures to be followed when standards of conduct give rise to problems which cannot be resolved by advice and encouragement, training or increased support. It is drafted to be compliant with the ACAS Code of Practice on Disciplinary and Grievance procedures, providing fairness and consistency of approach.

All policies being drafted under the HR Policy Review have been streamlined and reformatted into a new common template. This effectively separates core policy from detailed process and guidance. Policy is clearly identified and procedures and additional guidance, including flowcharts and forms, are appendices to the main policy document.

High level changes proposed include:

• clarification of the difference between misconduct and gross misconduct to ensure consistency of approach and application of sanction;
• clarification of the role of Investigating Manager;
• template for standardised investigation reports;
• emphasis on Head of Department responsibility to manage disciplinary matters;
• clear timeframes to manage casework.

It is proposed that this new policy will apply to all UCL staff members, for any new formal disciplinary matters arising after implementation date.

All employees are now invited and encouraged to review the proposed documents and share their comments to feed into final discussions before formal approvals are sought. The all staff consultation is open from 8-23 October 2015.

To participate, please visit the consultation website

Fiona Daffern, Head of Employment Policy Development, UCL Human Resources Division