Personnel in the management of companies regularly receive formal complaint letters from their employees and coworkers. The complaints could be regarding misconduct of an individual at the workplace or other issues. Regardless of the type of complaint received the management needs to investigate the matter at the earliest.
The management can consider the disciplinary action which should be initiated against the employee after investigations are completed. Management can consider issuing a suspension notice to the individual concerned if he or she is guilty and does not show any inclination of improving.
Suspension notices are documents which notify the guilty employee of a suspension from work for a specified period of time. The suspension will also impose certain costs on the employee which would be deducted from their paycheck. The objective of the suspension is to make the employee understand that inappropriate behavior can result in financial losses.
A suspension notice must have information of the offense committed by the employee if it has to be considered as valid. The reasons for the suspension must be mentioned by the employer in the letter provided. A suspension notice can also be issued when investigations into the offense are still ongoing. Some of the offenses which are grievous in nature are the following:
• The employee can be suspended pending an investigation if he or she is proved as a threat to the company and other coworkers.
• The employee has an opportunity to tamper with evidence against him or her if they are not suspended from their position during the investigation.
• They can alter certain information which may influence the investigation against the employee.
The reasons mentioned above should be sufficient for a company to determine that the employee in question must be suspended even when an investigation is ongoing.
Employees who are suspended for offensive behavior are required to follow the procedures laid down by the organizations failing which they could be facing certain consequences. The kind of consequences they would be susceptible to are as follows:
• The employer must consider all of the options besides the suspension before initiating the action.
• The suspension notice must never be issued for personal or vindictive reasons because it can result in consequences that will not be beneficial to the company.
Employers who decide to have a suspension notice drafted at their office simply need to follow the points mentioned below in the suspension notice they are looking forward to creating.
Key Features Of A Suspension Notice
- The date of issue of the suspension notice must be mentioned on the letter.
- The complete name and address of the offending employee who has invited the suspension.
- The duration of time the employee will be suspended from the position.
- A statement regarding nonpayment of dues during the suspension period.
- The commencement date of the suspension along with the reasons why the employee is being punished.
- The name of the individual authorized to issue the letter along with his or her designation and signature.
Example of A Suspension Notice 1
[Date:]
[From Name, Designation, Address And Contact Numbers Of the Issuing Authority],
[To Employee Name, Address, And Contact Number],
[Subject Notice of Suspension Without Pay],
Dear [Name of the Employee],
I am disappointed to receive several complaints from your co-workers regarding your offensive behaviour at work. We have had a discussion regarding this issue in the past and also issued a written notice to you to improve your behaviour. The latest reports indicate you have not made any efforts to change and continue to offend your co-workers regularly.
Your behaviour is causing a great deal of concern among us as your employer’s as well as your colleagues who are refusing to have any association with you. Therefore, we have decided to issue a suspension notice to you which will be valid from [date] to [date]. You are advised not to report for work on the dates mentioned on the suspension notice. You will not be paid any remuneration during the suspension period.
I sincerely hope that the suspension will make you realize that you cannot continue with your offensive behavior and need to change the same with immediate effect. Any further offenses on your part will invite sterner action in the form of extended suspensions or retrenchment from your job.
I advise you to consider this letter with the seriousness it deserves and make every attempt to change your behavior to become an acceptable colleague to the entire organization.
Yours sincerely,
[signature of the issuing authority],
[name of the signatory with address and contact details].
Example of A Suspension Notice 2
[Date:],
[From Name of The Sender Of The Suspension Notice],
[Contact Details Address, Telephone Number & Email Address Of the Sender],
[To Name of the Recipient],
[Contact Details Address, Telephone Number And Email Address Of The Recipient],
[Subject Suspension Notice For Inappropriate Behavior With Clients],
Dear [name],
I was highly disappointed to receive reports of inappropriate behavior on your part with clients visiting our retail outlets. I am aware that you have been dealing with several stressful matters within the organization but displaying inappropriate behavior with clients will result in losses which will be difficult to recover.
I personally believe that the stressful conditions you are going through is making it difficult for you to manage customer complaints which are leading to your inappropriate behavior. I, therefore, suggest that you immediately opt for counseling which will put you in a better frame of mind to deal with such issues.
I am suspending you from work for the next 10 days starting from [date] to [date] and suggest that you meet Dr. [name] for the counseling. Appointments for the same have been arranged and you just need to report to the office of the doctor at the scheduled time. You will not be penalized in any way during the suspension and can rest assured that you will not be liable financial penalties.
I sincerely hope and believe you will take full advantage of the time and facilities offered to you by the company to get over your stressful condition and return as the exemplary employee you always were. My best wishes will be with you during this difficult period.
Your sincerely,
[signature of the sender],
[name of the sender, designation and contact details].
As it can be observed a suspension notice need not always be penalizing the employee. Employers can certainly consider the circumstances in which employees could be subjected to before issuing a suspension notice for any reason.