Letter telling an employee they're the subject of an investigation

A template letter for employers to tell an employee they're the subject of an investigation. Free to use.

You can copy and paste the template text into an email or document.

Template

[Today's date] 

Dear [name of employee]

I am writing to inform you that the organisation has decided it is necessary to conduct an investigation into your actions in relation to:

[List details of each issue being investigated in bullet points]

The person in charge of the investigation will be [name of investigator].

The aim of the investigation is to establish the facts of the matter by gathering as much relevant information as possible. It is currently expected that the investigation will be completed by [date].

Once the investigation has been completed, you will be informed in writing of its outcome. If it is found that there is a case to answer, you will be invited to attend a formal disciplinary hearing. 

The investigator may invite you to attend an investigation meeting where you can explain your version of events. If this is required, you will be informed of the time and date of the meeting in advance.

In the meantime, should you have any information that might be of assistance to the investigation or wish to discuss anything, please contact:

[Name of investigator / line manager / HR department]
[Email address]
[Telephone number]

So that the investigation can be conducted as fairly as possible, we request that you keep the matter confidential. Any breach of confidentiality may be considered a disciplinary matter.

Please note that you should continue to attend work while the investigation takes place.

Yours sincerely

[Your name]

[Optional – your signature, if it's a letter]

Download this template

If you need the template in a different format, email digital@acas.org.uk.

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