Help me be strong tomorrow

[hmwhatsmynameagain]

I need to remove a member of staff from the disciplinary panel at work tomorrow.
This person is equal to me on paper and is the most experienced on the management team.
However I have witnessed him braking the same rules that have lead to part of the disciplinaries being conducted tomorrow, which have also been witnessed by some subjects of the disciplinary procedure.
This is my first experience of the disciplinary procedure as a panel/decision maker and now need to exclude the more experienced member for their conduct and possibly bring procedures against them

Reassurance please

Yep, it will be shit. But he's in the wrong and fucked up. You didn't. He now has to deal with it.

I’ve been the dismissing manager on a few panels before. Always gut wrenchingly awful leading up to it but every single employee has resigned just prior to the hearing and I’ve never actually had to do the deed.... maybe you’ll get lucky

Thank you, doesn't help out direct manger (MD) is on total leave til end of month as he trusts us all to make the right decisions

I've got to take the most experienced manager out of the panel tomorrow due to conduct.
I know I'm right but also going against the old boys attitude of my industry

Do I have another manager of same level witness my conversation with this manager I need to remove?
Manager I need to remove is of same level as me

yes you need a witness of some sort (my opinion - I'm not experienced in this area)

I agree, there should be another member of management at the same level of seniority to witness the conversation tomorrow

Not other managers are aware of the current situation as it does not involve their role or direct reports so the witness will be 'blind' to the situation - which actually is better as they then can be totally neutral

Hi, it would be advised to HR or another senior manager present - perhaps taking notes, particularly if the manager being removed from the disciplinary panel is under investigation at the moment or will be soon.

Perhaps also consult ACAS guidelines? It's wise to exercise best practice in situations such as these - so a notetaker/witness will not do any harm.

A notetaker is always present to all meetings. Due to time to consider recent events and the potential impact it is not possible for the official notetaker to be present before I take steps to remove this person.
I could however suspend hearings but need to consider the stress this will put on those involved.
I wish to continue procedures tomorrow without this panel member but I have no seniority over him.

How did it go OP?

Bloody tough and not looking forward to riding this out.
Think I've been fair to others involved, time will tell.