A suspension letter is an official letter issued to an employee by the employer as a consequence of disciplinary allegation(s) or a misconduct. The employee could be suspended due to corruption, a risk to fellow colleagues/property, or for breaching a non-disclosure agreement. The letter serves to notify the employee about temporary abandonment of official responsibilities till the completion of investigations, pertaining to allegations in consideration.
It notifies the employee whether the official activities of the employee are to be halted with or without salary and what sort of obligations the employee would have to work under. The letter is a good way to protect the credibility of the employee, by not making him/her a suspect during evidence collection.
The suspension letter neither guarantees that the employee would be guilty as charged nor necessarily result in the dismissal of the employee. It only serves as a notification to keep the employee away from tampering evidence or influencing witnesses during the investigation. The employee may restore the dignified status, after the investigation even if he/she has been issued a suspension letter earlier.
Before writing a suspension letter, the employer needs to consider the following things:
- Notify the employee about misconduct at the time of its occurrence
- Communicate formal and informal warning before sending the suspension letter
- Have periodic meetings and discussions to amend the subject in question
Once the employer decides to write the suspension letter, the employer must take into account the duration of suspension, terms, and conditions to be followed by the employee during the suspension period, ensuring compliance to communicated regulations, and the time period of suspension coming into effect.
The employer may decide to halt employee’s work by issuing a suspension letter pending investigation. It requires the employee to not attend the way until the completion of the investigation. The employee receives full pay as a part of the employment contract until the allegations are proved. Suspending an employee requires a tough decision. Hence, a few tips can help in writing an affection suspension letter pending investigation:
- Brief and Clear – the reason for issuing the letter must be clearly stated and disciplinary actions that could be taken as an outcome of investigation shall be communicated in reference to the disciplinary procedure of the employer
- Duration of Suspension – the letter should highlight the date for the suspension’s begin period and should provide the duration for an ending period.
- Rules and Regulations – the letter should emphasize an employee’s compliance with the stipulated regulations, and must also notify the employee to ensure extended cooperation during the investigation.
- Formal and cooperative tone – the letter needs to be written in a formal yet cooperative tone, as in the decision of suspension has been made to protect the rights of the employee and for the good interest of him/her.
Sample Suspension Letter Pending Investigation
[Date]
[Recipient’s Name]
[Designation]
[Organization]
[Address]
Dear Mr./Ms.,
This letter serves as formal documentation for your suspension from employment pending investigation. As highlighted in the meeting held on [Date], it has been alleged that you have been taking into account your family business for the quotations of our company’s promotional content printing. If proved, the allegations would result in a breach of your contractual agreement, which states that the employee cannot directly take part in any business or occupation.
In compliance with the XYZ Company’s disciplinary protocols, since the allegations have not been proved yet, you will be fully paid as per your employment contract during the suspension period. You must not attend the work till completion of the investigation. The suspension neither makes you guilty as charged nor serves as a disciplinary action. It would make the investigation convenient without complicating the process any further.
The suspension will come into effect immediately. During the suspension, you are required to fully cooperate with the investigation team, in order to assist in the process, by providing information, documentation, or witness as required by the team. Failure to comply with the communicated protocols would lead to disciplinary action.
Upon completion of the investigation, we will keep you informed about the outcomes. The period to return to work would be communicated when deemed necessary. In case, the allegations against you are proved, you will be notified about further proceedings.
If you have any queries, or require any further information, please reach out to me directly.
Sincerely,
ABC
File: Word (.docx) 2007+ and iPad Size 21 Kb | Download