Anyone in HR? Advice needed: suspension

[MushroomSoup]

I'm the line manager of a team. I wasn't in work today. I've been informed that one of my men was verbally abusive to a colleague today.

We are not back at work until 7am on Monday. I am going to suspend him, pending an investigation (conduct is against company policy).

However I can't get hold of HR between then and now.

Should I remove him from duties and isolate him until I get HR advice (about 2 hours) OR can I send him home? If so, what is the wording I need to use?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Do you have a copy of your organisations policy?

In my last organisation we would have explained that they were suspended on full pay pending investigation of the situation and that they would receive a letter confirming the suspension as soon as possible ( next day). That they should not under any circumstances contact anyone within the organisation other than yourself or hr. Retain company lap top / phone if appropriate.

Accompany him the retrieve any personal property he may want to take and escort him from the premises.

Thank you Sis, that's exactly what I needed.

There's an added complication in that he's the partner of the staff member he abused. Is it still appropriate to ask him not to contact them? They don't live together.

I'd not mention her name just 'anyone from or associated with the organisation'

It does make it more complicated and of course if they lived together you couldn't really enforce it but I'd let HR guide you from there, I'd be inclined to have a quiet word with his partner and tell her what he has been told and to not discuss it outside of the investigation.

By the way be prepared for things to have changed between them over the weekend.

This shouldn't have any bearing on what you need to do, just keep the investigation and your conversation with him Monday am, to his conduct whilst in work. It doesn't matter about personal relationships you have to concentrate on the fact that you can't have employees verbally abusing each other whilst at work because as an employer you have duty of care.

Thanks Sis, that has really firmed up my thinking.

My pleasure - it keeps my hand in whilst job hunting post redundancy