"when and how to suspend an employee for disciplinary investigation purposes"!

Disciplinary investigation is key to the process that must be followed prior to carrying out a fair dismissal, as an inadequate investigation may render the dismissal unfair. There may be instances when it is essential for the employer to suspend the employee with pay while it carries out its investigations.

Suspension might be appropriate where, for example: the employee has been accused of bullying or harassment; or the employer has grounds to believe that the employee might intentionally cause damage if allowed to remain in the workplace.

However, the employer should suspend the employee only after careful consideration, and keep the suspension under review to ensure that it does not become unnecessarily prolonged. The employer should make clear that the suspension is neither a disciplinary sanction nor an assumption of guilt.

These and many other information on these statutory procedures can be found on most HR provision websites.