Investigation Policy - June 2026
In this section
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Scope
- 3. Procedure
- 4. Appointing an Investigating Officer
- 5. People Services - HR Business Partner (HRBP)
- 6. Employee Responsibilities
- 7. Sickness Absence During an Investigation
- 8. Notification of an Investigation
- 9. Representation
- 10. Recording an Investigation Meeting
- 11. Timescale
- 12. Support for Employees
- 13. Confidentiality
- 14. Ensuring Equality of Treatment
- Appendix 1 - Guidelines for Investigating Officers
- Appendix 2 - Template Terms of Reference for Investigation
- Appendix 3 - Investigation Planning Template
- Appendix 4 - Template Investigation Meeting Record
- Appendix 5 - Investigation Officer’s Report Template
- Appendix 6 - Protocol for Disciplinary Hearing
- Appendix 7 - Questioning Approaches to Use
7. Sickness Absence During an Investigation
Absence from work through sickness does not necessarily mean that an employee is unfit to give a statement. It may be necessary to seek the advice from an Occupational Health Advisor (OHA) or Occupational Health Physician (OHP) to assess the employee’s fitness prior to being interviewed. The employee will be asked to consent to the release of information by the OHA/OHP after the referral. In cases where an employee is considered unfit by the Council’s OHA/OHP to be interviewed or to make a statement, they will be entitled to nominate a recognised trade union representative or a work colleague to speak on their behalf or to submit a written statement. If the employee fails to attend the occupational health appointment or declines to give consent to the release of information, a decision will be made to proceed on the information available.