Don’t get caught out – disciplinary hearing transcription services can prove invaluable
Disciplinary hearings are unpleasant for all parties involved. At best, the hearing is as a result of a false accusation or mistake and everything can be resolved quickly and amicably with no harm done. But when the accusation is serious, or the employee is determined to be make things difficult, there is always the possibility that the hearing will descend into a mass brawl if the accused takes exception to being told they are dismissed. As a result, it is sensible to record the hearing in the event that a formal record of who said what to whom is needed at a later date.
How do Disciplinary Hearings Work?
A formal disciplinary hearing is normally as a result of unsatisfactory performance at work. The employee may already be aware that they are facing disciplinary action, or it could come as a complete shock when they are hauled into the manager’s office at the end of their day. Either way, the employer should notify the employee in writing and ask them to attend a disciplinary meeting at a later date. The employee is entitled to bring a colleague or union representative to the meeting to provide support, confer with, and sum up the case on behalf of the employee.
Why are Records of Disciplinary Hearings Required?
As we have mentioned above, disciplinary hearings don’t always go to plan. Employees might not be happy with the outcome and decide to take matters further. Hopefully the hearing won’t turn nasty, but there is a possibility that the employee could decide to sue for unfair dismissal. In this instance, the employer will need to show a tribunal that they handled matters correctly and all relevant disciplinary procedures were followed.
Stay Focused and On Track:
Because of the emotive nature of a disciplinary hearing, it can be hard for all parties involved to stay focused and on track. Keeping notes on what is said is not easy, particularly when there are several people all talking at once or the accused is sobbing into a box of tissues and struggling to say anything coherent. Making an audio recording of the meeting enables you to have everything transcribed, in detail.
Verbatim Transcription:
The beauty of having a disciplinary hearing transcribed verbatim, instead of following clean verbatim rules, is that you have a full account of what was said. This includes all the swear words, threats of violence towards the interviewer, and anything else that might come in useful if matters are taken further.
Absolute Confidentiality is Essential:
Confidentiality is essential when transcribing a disciplinary hearing and although all reputable transcription companies take the issue of client confidentiality very seriously, clients may wish to provide external confidentiality agreements.
Alphabet has lots of experience transcribing disciplinary hearings, so please contact us for more information.
