Disciplinary outcome letter template

27th September 2026

The outcome letter is where a fair process is usually lost. Not because the decision was wrong, but because the letter announcing it left out one of the four things the Acas Code says a warning has to contain, and nobody noticed until somebody else was reading the file.

Here is the letter, with the dismissal variant underneath it, and the four elements it has to carry.

The template

If the outcome is dismissal

Replace the outcome paragraph and everything after it, up to the appeal paragraph, with this. Keep the appeal paragraph.

The four things a warning must contain

Paragraph 21 of the Acas Code of Practice sets out what a written warning should tell the employee: the nature of the misconduct or poor performance, the change in behaviour or performance required and the timescale for it, how long the warning will remain current, and the consequences of further misconduct or failure to improve.

Four things. Most warning letters carry the first and the last, sometimes. The two that go missing are the measurable change and the life of the warning, and those are the two that matter most later: the first because a person cannot improve against a standard nobody has stated, the second because a warning with no expiry is one somebody will still be relying on in three years.

Paragraph 18 requires the decision to be communicated in writing at all, and paragraphs 19 and 20 set the usual progression from a first written warning to a final one, while allowing you to start at a final written warning where the first offence is serious enough.

Give the actual reasons

The single most common weakness in an outcome letter is a decision announced without reasoning. “Having considered the evidence, the allegation is upheld” tells the employee nothing, gives an appeal hearing nothing to review, and tells a tribunal that you may not have reasoned at all.

Write down which evidence you preferred and why, and what you made of the explanation they gave. If you rejected their account, say what you rejected and on what basis. This is uncomfortable to write and it is the paragraph that protects you, because it is the difference between a decision and an assertion.

Dismissal has four extra requirements

Paragraphs 22 and 23 deal with dismissal. Only somebody with the authority to dismiss should take the decision, and the employee should be told, as soon as reasonably practicable, the reason for the dismissal, the date on which the employment will end, the appropriate period of notice, and their right of appeal.

The Code also makes clear that where gross misconduct justifies dismissal without notice, a fair disciplinary process must still be followed first. Summary dismissal means without notice. It does not mean without procedure, and treating the two as the same thing is how an otherwise sound dismissal becomes unfair.

For dismissals up to and including 31st December 2026 an employee generally needs two years of continuous service to bring an ordinary unfair dismissal claim. For dismissals from 1st January 2027 it is six months, and the cap on the compensatory award goes entirely. What changes on 1st January 2027 sets out what that does to your exposure.

Offer the appeal in the letter, every time

Paragraph 26 gives the employee a right to appeal against any disciplinary decision, and the outcome letter is where you tell them about it. Give a name to write to and a deadline, and ask for grounds in writing, because an appeal against nothing in particular cannot be answered. The appeal invitation letter picks up from there.

Under section 207A of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 a tribunal can increase an award by up to 25 per cent for an unreasonable failure to follow the Code. An outcome letter that omits the right of appeal is one of the clearest examples there is, because it is visible on the face of the document.

If you would rather not start from a blank page

Tarn.hr produces the outcome letters for every result the hearing could reach, no case to answer through to dismissal, each with the appeal right stated, from the answers you gave when you set the situation up. It starts with the invitation letter and carries the same facts through to the end. The first situation is free and there is no card required.

This is guidance rather than legal advice. Before dismissing anyone, and particularly where the conduct touches on a protected characteristic, whistleblowing or pregnancy, take advice from an employment solicitor.

Tarn.hr provides HR guidance based on UK employment law and Acas codes of practice. It does not constitute legal advice and should not be relied upon as such. Employment law is complex and turns on the facts of each case. For any situation involving significant legal risk, potential tribunal claims, or matters of particular sensitivity, you should seek advice from a qualified employment solicitor. Tarn.hr is not responsible for any decisions made on the basis of its guidance.