MAKE YOUR FREE Appeal letter

An appeal letter is a letter that allows you to make a formal appeal against your employer. It sets out what decision is being appealed and the grounds for appeal.

Use this appeal letter template when you want to make a formal appeal against your employer. This letter of appeal covers appeals against a disciplinary decision, a dismissal, a redundancy or other discriminating decisions against you, ie an unfair refusal to your flexible working request. Set out the grounds of your appeal including incorrect evidence, new evidence, problems with the decision process or unfair selection grounds and incorrect reasons for redundancy. You can also choose to be accompanied by someone at the appeal hearing.

Use this appeal letter

• to appeal against a first or final written warning
• to appeal against dismissal
• to appeal against being made redundant
• to appeal against other employer decisions, eg refusal of a flexible working request

This appeal letter covers:

• what decision is being appealed
• why it's being appealed (grounds for appeal)
• option to include a request to be accompanied to the appeal hearing meeting

You need an appeal letter when you are handed with a first or final written warning with which you disagree. Writing a letter of appeal makes it clear to your employer that you disagree. One of the situations in which you might want to send the letter is if you are dismissed or  are being made redundant.

Use this appeal letter to appeal decisions made by an employer including:

• disciplinary decision eg a warning for misconduct or poor performance
• dismissal
• being made redundant
• other decisions such as a refusal to a flexible working request

You can use this letter to claim:

• there is new evidence which supports your appeal
• the correct procedure was not followed when a decision was made
• the selection grounds for redundancy were unfair
• or any other employer decision

Find out more about the type of decisions you can appeal, how to do this and next steps following writing a formal letter of appeal.  

You can choose to be accompanied by a colleague or a trade union representative. Your employer or HR officer cannot refuse this request. In this letter you can choose to be accompanied by your colleague or trade union representative.

Ask a lawyer:

• if you are unsure that you have legitimate grounds for a challenge to the initial decision
• if your employer does not allow an appeal or is acting unreasonably

This employee notice of appeal is governed by the law of England and Wales or the law of Scotland.