HR consultancy service
Disciplinary, grievance and investigations
Hands on support through a disciplinary, grievance or workplace investigation, for owners and managers who need a fair, well documented process for a live people problem.
What it is
A complaint lands on your desk on a Friday afternoon. Or a manager wants someone gone by Monday. Or two people who have to work together have stopped speaking, and one has now used the word bullying. Situations like these are stressful, they involve people you know, and the pressure is to act fast. Acting fast without a fair process is where employers get into difficulty: Citizens Information is clear that an employer who dismisses must be able to show fair procedures as well as fair grounds.
We work through it with you, step by step. We set up a process that follows the Workplace Relations Commission's Code of Practice on Grievance and Disciplinary Procedures and your own policies, draft the letters, prepare you for each meeting, attend or take notes where that helps, and write up outcomes and appeal decisions. Where a complaint needs an independent investigation, including a complaint of bullying, harassment or sexual harassment, we carry it out under agreed terms of reference and report findings of fact.
The HR practice is led by a consultant with a master's degree in human resource management. We give HR advice and practical support, not legal advice, and we never promise an outcome. Scope, fee and timings are agreed in writing before any work starts.
What you get
- A process plan for your case that follows the Code of Practice and your own procedures
- Invitation, allegation, outcome and appeal letters drafted for each stage
- Preparation before every meeting, with a consultant attending or taking notes where agreed
- An independent investigation under written terms of reference where a complaint calls for one
- A written investigation report setting out findings of fact on the balance of probabilities
- A complete, ordered file of letters, notes and decisions in case the matter goes further
Questions
What employers ask us.
General information for Irish employers, checked against official sources in October 2026.
FH Recruitment provides HR advice and practical support. We are not a law firm and we do not give legal advice. Where a matter needs a solicitor we will tell you, and we are happy to work alongside yours.
What is a fair disciplinary procedure in Ireland?
The Workplace Relations Commission's Code of Practice on Grievance and Disciplinary Procedures (S.I. No. 146 of 2000) is the reference point as of October 2026. It says procedures must comply with natural justice: the details of any allegation are put to the employee, the employee can respond fully and can be represented, and the issue is decided fairly and impartially. An employee representative includes a colleague of the employee's choice and a registered trade union, but not a person or body unconnected with the enterprise. Procedures should be in writing, steps will generally be progressive, from warnings through to dismissal, and an internal appeal should be available.
Can we suspend an employee while we investigate?
The Workplace Relations Commission's Code of Practice on Grievance and Disciplinary Procedures says an employee may be suspended on full pay pending the outcome of an investigation into an alleged breach of discipline. Suspension without pay appears in the Code only in its list of possible disciplinary actions. That is the position as of October 2026. We recommend treating suspension as a serious step, not a routine one: consider whether the person can keep working, perhaps on adjusted duties, put the reasons in writing, keep it as short as possible and review it. Check what your own contract and procedures allow before you act.
What counts as bullying at work, and when do we need an independent investigator?
The joint Health and Safety Authority and Workplace Relations Commission Code of Practice on bullying at work defines bullying as repeated inappropriate behaviour that could reasonably be regarded as undermining a person's right to dignity at work, so a single incident is not bullying. Harassment is tied to nine grounds such as gender, age or race, and the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission's Code of Practice says a single incident may be enough. Under the bullying Code, a formal investigation should be run by designated management or, where there is a conflict of interest for example, by an independent third party. This applies as of October 2026.
Can an employee claim unfair dismissal, and what can the WRC award?
According to the Workplace Relations Commission, as of October 2026, an employee generally needs at least twelve months' continuous service to claim unfair dismissal, with exceptions such as dismissal linked to pregnancy or trade union membership. The complaint must be received within six months, or twelve where there was reasonable cause for the delay. A dismissal is deemed unfair unless there were substantial grounds justifying it, and compensation for financial loss cannot exceed 104 weeks' remuneration. We give HR advice, not legal advice. If a claim is made, we prepare you and the paperwork and work alongside your solicitor. We cannot promise an outcome, and nobody should.
How much does HR support for a disciplinary or investigation cost?
It depends on the scope: whether you want advice in the background while you run the process, a consultant drafting letters and attending meetings, or a full independent investigation with a written report, and how many people need to be interviewed. We do not quote until we understand the situation. After the first call you receive a written proposal setting out what we will do, the timings and the fee. Scope and fee are agreed in writing before any work starts, and if the scope needs to change as the case develops, that is agreed in writing too.
Talk it through with an HR consultant.
Tell us what is happening. We will contact you within one working day, and no work starts until you have agreed a written scope and fee.