Chairing Appeal Hearings for Employers in UK

Why Use an Independent Chair for Appeals

An appeal is only meaningful if it is heard by someone who was not part of the original decision and has no stake in defending it. Using an independent chair:

• Ensures true separation from the manager or panel who made the original grievance or disciplinary decision
• Meets the standard expected under the ACAS Code of Practice, which requires appeals to be handled impartially wherever possible
• Removes the practical problem faced by smaller businesses, where there may be no one left internally who was not involved in the original process
• Gives the employee genuine confidence that their appeal will be considered on its merits
• Strengthens the employer’s position if the outcome is challenged at tribunal, since a properly independent appeal can remedy earlier procedural gaps

Tribunals have repeatedly found that a fair appeal, run by someone genuinely independent, can correct defects earlier in the process. An appeal chaired by someone connected to the original decision achieves the opposite and can undermine an otherwise sound case.

Our Appeal Hearing Chairing Service

KLG Law’s employment solicitors chair appeal hearings following both grievance and disciplinary outcomes, including:

Grievance appeals:
Hearing an employee’s challenge to the outcome of a grievance investigation, with no connection to the manager who made the original decision.

Disciplinary appeals:
Reviewing appeals against warnings, sanctions, or dismissal decisions, including gross misconduct cases where the stakes and scrutiny are highest.

Case file review:
Reading the original investigation, hearing notes, and outcome letter in full before the appeal, to understand exactly what was decided and why.

Chairing the appeal hearing:
Giving the employee a genuine opportunity to set out their grounds of appeal and respond to questions, without any predetermined view of the outcome.

Independent decision making:
Reaching a decision based solely on the evidence and grounds of appeal presented, which may uphold, overturn, or vary the original outcome.

Outcome letters:

Drafting a clear final outcome letter that addresses each ground of appeal raised and explains the reasoning behind the decision.

Who This Service Is For

This service is designed for UK employers who need a genuinely independent appeal stage, particularly where:

• The business is too small to have anyone internally who was not involved in the original process
• The original decision involved a director, owner, or senior manager
• The case involved gross misconduct or dismissal, where the standard of scrutiny is highest
• An employee has raised concerns about bias or fairness in the original process
• The employer wants to strengthen its position ahead of a potential tribunal claim

The Risk of an Inadequate Appeal

A weak or compromised appeal can undo the value of an otherwise well run grievance or disciplinary process. If a tribunal finds that the appeal was not genuinely independent, the entire process can be judged unfair, regardless of how solid the original decision was. For dismissal cases in particular, a properly independent appeal is often the last opportunity to correct any earlier missteps before the matter reaches a tribunal.