It can be very distressing if allegations of misconduct have been made against you. You may think "These allegations are malicious, I did nothing wrong"; or you may recognise the incident you are accused of and think "I never meant for it to happen or have this impact on others". No matter how you feel about it, we want to ensure you fully understand what is happening; what is going to happen next; and how you can access support throughout any investigative process.
Please, read the information below carefully before you take any further action and be reassured that support is always available.
What am I being accused of?
If allegations of misconduct have been made against you, it is essential that you clearly understand what you are being accused of. On the Report + Support homepage, you will find a section titled Our Areas of Work. This section offers an overview of different forms of harassment and how they could manifest. You may not think these are relevant to you, or you may not identify what you have been accused of as something that could fall under any of these categories. That's okay; an Employee Relations and Change Manager can help you make sense of this and unpack the allegations with you so that you can fully understand what the allegations made against you entail.
What is going to happen now?
The person who has disclosed the incident to the University is called the complainant and the colleague that the allegation has been made against is called the respondent. All allegations made against colleagues about behaviour and conduct that is not in line with the University values are dealt with typically under the Disciplinary Policy and Procedure but may include other policies such as the Prevention of Bullying, Harassment and Sexual Misconduct Policy, Personal Relationships at Work Policy and Grievance Policy and Procedure.
If an allegation is made against you, you will be informed in writing of the nature of the allegation; and provided an outline of the next steps.
There will be a formal investigation which may include meeting with an Investigator. You will be given the opportunity to respond to the allegations and provide information to support your case.
The University will not make assumptions on the relative merits of an allegation. No party will be considered ‘at fault’ until an allegation has been investigated. All those involved in an investigation will be treated fairly and offered advice and support.
In some instances, where the alleged behaviour is considered to be particularly serious, the University may have to take immediate precautionary measures – this means that you may be suspended. This will be communicated clearly to you including details of what you may or may not be allowed to do in relation to your work until your case has been investigated and an outcome reached. Suspension is not a penalty or sanction.
What happens after an investigation?
The Investigator’s recommendations are reviewed and the colleague will be informed of the next steps in writing. If the next step is Formal Disciplinary Action, you will be invited to a Disciplinary hearing. You will be able to respond and provide information to support your position at all stages of your case.
There are a broad range of outcomes and sanctions available at all stages of the process, and you will have the opportunity to appeal the outcome of the Disciplinary Hearing. For further information regarding this process, please read our Disciplinary Policy and Procedure.
What support is available if I have been accused of misconduct?
In this situation, the first thing to do is to seek advice and support.
University Support:
- You can arrange to speak with an ERCM. They can help you make sense of the situation and support you as you navigate the next steps, including during a disciplinary investigation. The University has a Data Protection Policy relating to how it will use your information. There are limited circumstances where the University will be required to share information with the Police, therefore, if you wish to discuss anything in confidence, it is important that you understand the limits of confidentiality and how the information you provide might be used later.
- You can speak to your line manager for support.
- You can access VIVUP the Employee Assistance Programme for confidential advice.
- If you are a member of a Trade Union, you can reach out and speak to a Trade Union representative.
External Support:
- A variety of external services are available to you. Please, visit this page for more information: Mental Health Support. If allegations of sexual misconduct have been made against you and you would like to discuss this in a confidential and anonymous way, you can do so by contacting Respect Phoneline UK.
- Family and friends: You may want to share information regarding the allegations that have been made against you with family and friends. We encourage you to do so, and to ask for their support. However, please bear in mind that, once information is shared with others, you will lose control over it, so we would also recommend that you only share details of the allegation with your closest network and remind them of the importance of confidentiality. This is to protect any party involved, including yourself.
We appreciate that this may represent a very challenging time for you and we are here to support you.