Formal disciplinary outcome letter confirming a first or final written warning. Acas Code para 19 compliant — states finding, improvement required, duration and appeal right. From £4.99.
A Disciplinary Outcome Letter confirms the result of a formal disciplinary hearing in writing. Paragraph 19 of the Acas Code requires the employer to communicate the outcome promptly and in writing, including the nature of the misconduct found, the improvement required, the duration of the warning, and the employee's right of appeal. A warning that omits any of these elements is procedurally deficient. Employment tribunals take the Acas Code into account and may adjust awards by up to 25% for unreasonable non-compliance (Employment Tribunals Act 1996 s.207A).
After any disciplinary hearing that results in a first or final written warning. This includes cases where the employee did not attend the hearing, provided the employer complied with the invitation procedure. The letter should be issued as soon as reasonably practicable after the hearing. From 1 January 2027, the compensatory award cap is removed under the Employment Rights Act 2025 — procedural failures in warning letters carry materially higher financial risk from that date.
The level of warning (first or final written warning); the finding on which it is based; confirmation that mitigating circumstances were considered (Acas Code para 19); the improvement required and any review date; the duration and expiry of the warning (typically 12 months); the consequence of a further failure; and the right of appeal under the employer's procedure, including the deadline, the recipient, and the right to be accompanied at any appeal hearing under Employment Relations Act 1999 s.10.
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