Disciplinary Hearing Script - What to Say & How to Run the Meeting

This is a fully structured, word-for-word script to help you confidently lead a disciplinary meeting from start to finish.

It guides you through exactly what to say at each stage — from opening the meeting and explaining the process, through presenting allegations, managing the employee’s response, exploring mitigation, and closing the discussion professionally.

The script ensures the meeting remains fair, controlled, and legally sound, while giving you the confidence to handle what is often a difficult and high-risk conversation.

It also includes targeted questioning prompts to help you gather the right information without leading the employee or compromising the integrity of the process.

Who is it for?

• Founders and CEOs handling disciplinary meetings directly
• Line managers with little or no HR experience
• Junior HR professionals needing structure and confidence
• Anyone who wants to avoid saying the wrong thing in a formal setting

What does it cover?

• Opening the meeting (roles, purpose, tone setting)
• Explaining the process clearly and professionally
• Presenting allegations and summarising evidence
• Structured questioning to explore facts and context
• Managing employee response without interruption or bias
• Exploring mitigation (personal, operational, contextual factors)
• Involving a companion appropriately
• Summarising key points and confirming understanding
• Closing the meeting and setting next steps

When is it used?

• When a formal disciplinary hearing has been scheduled
• After an investigation confirms there is a case to answer
• When you need to present allegations and hear the employee’s response
• When you want to ensure the meeting is fair, consistent, and well-managed

Word document (.docx) | 4 pages