Media
For all media enquiries, please contact Kathryn King at Bristol University Press: Kathryn.King@bristol.ac.uk
Watch the launch video here
MEDIA RELEASE:
New book reveals widespread harm caused
by work place disciplinary procedures
The Post Office scandal is far from the only example of harm caused by an organisation’s disciplinary procedures according to a new book.
Published by Bristol University Press, Under Investigation: Transforming Disciplinary Practice in the Workplace charts the systematic harm that disciplinary procedures can have on employees. Authors show that a large part of the £28.5bn of workplace conflict costs in the UK could be saved if disciplinary investigations were used as a last resort.
Wrongfully accused
Between 1999 and 2015, errors in the Post Office’s Horizon accounting software resulted in more than 900 sub postmasters being wrongfully accused of theft, fraud and false accounting.
The Post Office, which privately prosecuted most of these cases, refused to acknowledge the software’s faults, leading to wrongful convictions, loss of livelihoods and even suicides.
However, contributors to ‘Under Investigation’ have found other examples of disciplinary poor practice that has led to mental illness, damage to professional standing, financial hardship, emotional harm, social isolation and disruption to family life.
Forensic scrutiny
Nick Wallis, author of ‘The Great Post Office Scandal’ (Bath Publishing, 2021), called the book: “An important read. It’s a subject that deserves proper forensic scrutiny.”
About 43 per cent of UK employers took disciplinary action in 2024 and around 10 million people have experienced conflict at work. More than half suffer stress, anxiety or depression as a result, 900,000 took time off, 500,000 resigned and more than 300,000 employees were dismissed.
The issue has been taken up in Keep Britain Working (published 5 November 2025), a report on sickness absence in the UK, commissioned by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and led by Sir Charlie Mayfield, the former chairman of John Lewis.
The review refers to research conducted by the editors of ‘Under Investigation’ and recommends “fast-tracking alternative dispute resolution (ADR) approaches” alongside its other recommendations.
Motivation
Andrew Cooper, editor of ‘Under Investigation’ and head of programmes for employee wellbeing at Aneurin University Health Board in NHS Wales, said: “The motivation for ‘Under Investigation’ was a growing awareness of the harm that disciplinary processes can cause and a deepening understanding of the range of that impact.
“Working with experts from a range of disciplines, we identified that the harm is not limited to employees. It affects the people conducting the investigations, the culture of the teams and organisations in which they work and it hits the reputation and bottom line of businesses and organisations. And this is harm which can often be avoided.”
Practical steps
Dr Adrian Neal, Head of Employee Wellbeing at the health board and co-editor, adds: “The book aims to provide practical steps that every business and organisation can take to make employee investigations a last resort, using them only when really needed. It sets out action for improving disciplinary policy and process and organisational culture. It calls on the HR profession to lead the change, promoting employee wellbeing and improving organisational culture, reputation and finances in the process.”
ENDS
For all media enquiries, please contact Kathryn King at Bristol University Press: Kathryn.King@bristol.ac.uk
Source for numbers of UK employers taking disciplinary action: https://www.cipd.org/globalassets/media/knowledge/knowledge-hub/reports/2024-pdfs/2024-bullying-and-harassment-report-8660.pdf
Source for costs relating to workplace conflict: www.acas.org.uk/research-and-commentary/estimating-the-costs-of-workplace-conflict
HR leaders’ reflections on the application of disciplinary policy:
“I enquired what he had stolen. ‘Bread’, was the response. I recall the conversation that followed vividly. Here we are, looking to dismiss an individual for gross misconduct, without even considering what had changed in their circumstances that they needed to steal bread.
“I reflected on how this person might be feeling – Scared? Disrespected? Worried? If you have ever worked with me, you will know that I regard policies as a framework, not a descriptor. A policy will never tell you how to support someone who cries – it relies on your experience, your expertise and your compassion.”
James Devine is a senior client partner with Korn Ferry and in 2024 was announced as the number one most influential HR Practitioner in the UK, by HR Magazine.
HR leaders’ reflections on the application of disciplinary policy:
“It was my first HR job working as a business partner, alongside four other thoroughbred HR professionals. We had all been trained to take a legalistic approach and were measured by the way we removed unwanted colleagues without fuss and cost.
“At the time, I was uncomfortable about the way we managed these processes. We weren’t encouraged to consider what may have led to the situation, or what the wider issues might have been – or even to reflect on the employee’s previous record.”
Julie Rogers is Chief Executive of the Healthcare People Management Association (HPMA), the professional voice of people professionals in health and care across the UK.