The Faculty of Public Health has today published a new discussion paper warning that the impact on health and wellbeing from poorly administered disciplinary investigations should be recognised as an important public health issue.
Reducing harm from the poor application of disciplinary processes: a public health issue examines evidence that poorly designed and applied procedures are damaging staff wellbeing, weakening workforce resilience and leading to considerable costs to the UK economy.
Acas estimates that UK organisations initiate 1.7 million formal disciplinary cases every year, with workplace conflict costing employers £28.5 billion annually. Nearly 80% of this cost is linked to dismissals and resignations arising from formal procedures.
The Faculty is calling for a national conversation on how disciplinary processes are designed, delivered and regulated, and asking organisations to adopt approaches that protect wellbeing, strengthen trust and support compassionate processes.
Professor Tracy Daszkiewicz, President of the Faculty of Public Health, said, “For too long we have prioritised procedure over people and it is important to recognise that the widespread harms caused by poorly considered disciplinary processes are preventable.
“Just as public health has reframed issues like smoking, obesity and vaccination as population-level priorities, there is now an opportunity to do the same for workforce wellbeing.
“We urgently need a national conversation about how disciplinary investigations are conducted across the UK, and how we can work together to make sure that processes are fairer, safer and more compassionate.”
The paper builds on the avoidable employee harm concept, which has already informed improvements in several NHS organisations. However, the evidence shows the issue extends far beyond healthcare, affecting workplaces across government, education and the private sector.
Andrew Cooper, lead author of the paper and Development Director for the Healthcare People Management Association Avoiding Harm programme, said, “The harm caused by poorly applied disciplinary processes is not incidental, it is built into the way many systems currently operate. We need approaches that are proportionate, compassionate and rooted in learning.”
The paper calls for urgent conversations between key sectors and leaders including:
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Policymakers and regulators: to recognise disciplinary practice as a determinant of workforce wellbeing and strengthen safeguards.
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Employers: to invest in compassionate, proportionate approaches and prioritise early, fair resolution.
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HR professionals: to shift from compliance-driven processes to human-centred practice.
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Public health professionals: to embed workforce wellbeing within public health priorities and advocate for reform.
The Faculty will be working with members, government and partners to convene a national conversation, expand the evidence base and drive system-level change that reduces avoidable harm and protects the health of communities.
