It is fair to say that when it comes to the unfortunate business of disciplinary matters that a great many employers and employees are aware in advance as to the level of support an employee may have in the room during the relevant meeting(s).

The statutory minimum provides that a work colleague or trade union representative may be brought in by the employee being disciplined as a companion, an officious note taker and asker of questions that otherwise may not have been asked. Legally compliant employment contracts and disciplinary policies generally echo this position of course.