I am an HR manager and I have been investigating an allegation that one of our employees has been sending our confidential information to a competitor without any prior authorisation. I have taken several witness statements as part of my investigation, but given the gravity of the allegations, I don’t propose to meet with the employee in question. Instead, the disciplinary panel can put the allegations to him during the hearing, which I have already invited him to attend.  Am I safe to proceed, without asking the employee in question to take part in my investigation?

The short answer to your question, is no.

To proceed to a disciplinary hearing, without having first put the allegations to the employee as