Suspension During an Investigation at Work Letter (UK) (Acas)
Updated 13 October 2025
This template provides a formal letter for an employer to issue to an employee, confirming their suspension from duty during an ongoing investigation. It details the reasons for the suspension, clarifies that it is not disciplinary action at this stage, and outlines the employee's responsibilities and points of contact during the suspension period. The document ensures clear communication regarding the investigative process and the employee's temporary status.
Suspension During an Investigation at Work Letter (Template)
[RECORDED DELIVERY]
PERSONAL & CONFIDENTIAL
[letter date]
[employee name]
[employee address]
RE: suspension during an investigation
Dear [employee name]
I am writing to confirm your suspension from duty on your usual pay in your post of [post title] in the [department].
The purpose of the suspension is to enable us to investigate an allegation made against you. It is alleged that you have:
[reason for suspension 1]
[reason for suspension 2]
Before taking this action, I considered the following changes to your working arrangements:
a change of shifts
working in a different part of the organisation
working from home
working from a different office or site
stop handling stock if the investigation is about a large amount of stock going missing
working with different customers or away from customers if the investigation is into a serious complaint from a customer
removing access to the organisation's finance system if the investigation is into a large amount of missing money
However, due to the seriousness of the allegation / allegations / other reason if applicable I decided that alternative duties instead of suspension were not appropriate in the circumstances.
Your suspension starts / started from [suspension start] and will continue for up to [suspension duration] weeks. During this time, we will review the situation and the suspension period may be extended or ended.
Just to confirm: suspension on your usual pay is not disciplinary action. At this stage we are only investigating the allegation and no decision has been reached.
During suspension, we might need to contact you for more information. This means you need to be available for contact during normal working hours / the time we have agreed.
You must not return to your place of work during suspension without first getting approval from your line manager. Unless agreed with us, you must not discuss the investigation with any work colleague or service user in any way including via email or social networks. Also, you must not use work equipment (including IT equipment) provided for your employment without permission.
We will now undertake an investigation into the allegations made against you. We will appoint an Investigating Officer and you will need to attend an investigation meeting – we will contact you again shortly with the arrangements for this.
You are entitled to be accompanied in that meeting by a colleague or a trade union representative, if you wish. Please contact us to discuss this.
[contact name] is your point of contact during this investigation and they will be available should you need to speak to anyone. Their contact details are: [contact telephone].
If you have any queries about any of the above, or if you need any support, you should contact [contact name] or your trade union representative, if you are a member of one. You can also use any of the following [set out available support, for example an employee assistance programme (eap)].
Yours sincerely,
[manager name]
[manager position]
cc [HR Services – Personal File]
[Advice & Support Team]
Enclosed: [Suspension policy] [Investigation policy]
About this template
What is this template?
Suspension During an Investigation at Work Letter (UK) (Acas) is a free, ready-to-use Employment Contracts template you can open, customize, and download on GitLaw. It gives you a professionally structured starting point, so you never have to draft from a blank page. The wording is plain and modern, organized into clear sections that are easy to read, edit, and adapt to your own situation before you share or sign it.
When should you use it?
Reach for this Employment Contracts template whenever you need a reliable agreement quickly and want to be sure the essentials are covered. It suits individuals, freelancers, startups, and established businesses alike. Instead of paying for a document drafted from scratch, you can start here, tailor the details to your arrangement, and have a polished draft ready in minutes. This version is drafted with England & Wales in mind, though you should always review the final wording against the laws that apply to you.
What's typically included?
A well-drafted Employment Contracts usually sets out the parties involved, the scope of the agreement, and each side's rights and responsibilities. Expect sections covering key terms and definitions, how long the agreement lasts, how it can be ended, and what happens if something goes wrong. This template brings those building blocks together in a sensible order, so you can focus on the specifics rather than worrying about what to include. Open it to read the full document, then sign up to edit, negotiate, and e-sign it directly in GitLaw.