Do I have a right to be accompanied?

Yes, to a statutory companion: a colleague or a trade union official, in the usual case.

Does attending a hearing pause the claim clock?

No. If you have already been dismissed, the EDT clock is running.

Should I take notes in?

Yes. Write what was said the same day. Ask for the outcome in writing.

Disciplinary hearing: what to expect

Updated September 2026

Three empty chairs at a meeting table with a closed folder and a glass of water. — The hearing is a meeting with a record. Treat it that way, not as a conversation you can tidy up later.

A disciplinary hearing under the Acas Code is supposed to be a chance to hear the case against you, put yours, and be accompanied. It is not a trial, and it is not optional theatre. If they have already decided, the hearing is still the document a tribunal will read. Write as if that is true.

Before you go in

Ask for the evidence in writing: the allegation, the investigation notes, the policy they say you breached. If they refuse or dump a pack on you the night before, say so in an email and ask for more time. That email is the point, even if they say no.

Name your companion (colleague or trade union representative) in writing. If the hearing might end in dismissal, read what to do in the first 48 hours now, not after they walk you out.

What the invite should say

the date, time and place, with enough notice to prepare
what you are accused of, in plain language
the possible outcome, including dismissal if that is live
your right to be accompanied

A vague “catch-up about your conduct” is not a hearing invite. Ask them to confirm it is a disciplinary hearing and what the charge is. If the real issue is performance or sickness, say so; those processes have different rules and a different paper trail.

In the room

Take your own notes, or ask the companion to. You can read a short statement. You can ask for a break. You do not have to answer a new allegation they invented after the invite. Ask for it in writing and a new date.

Do not sign a settlement in the corridor. Do not resign in anger unless you have already taken advice about constructive dismissal — resignation starts a clock you cannot rewind.

Afterward

They should confirm the outcome in writing and tell you how to appeal. A warning is not the end of the story: it can still be discriminatory, or part of a fire-and-rehire path. If the process was a stitch-up, a grievance can run in parallel. Neither one pauses a tribunal deadline.

If dismissal is already on the table

Work out the EDT the same day and put it in the calculator. Start Acas if the window is tight. The hearing, the appeal, and the “we’re still considering it” email do not stop limitation.

This is general information, not legal advice. The Acas Code is on acas.org.uk.

Quick answers

Do I have a right to be accompanied?: Yes, to a statutory companion: a colleague or a trade union official, in the usual case.
Does attending a hearing pause the claim clock?: No. If you have already been dismissed, the EDT clock is running.
Should I take notes in?: Yes. Write what was said the same day. Ask for the outcome in writing.