Letter template
Show-cause notice template
The first formal step when an employee is alleged to have committed misconduct: absence without leave, insubordination, a policy breach, negligence or misuse of company property. It sets out what is alleged, with dates and facts, and asks the employee to explain within a fixed time before the company decides on any action. Issue it before, not after, deciding the penalty.
Free to use and adapt. Not legal advice: have a lawyer check anything you rely on in a dispute.
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Show-cause notice
Date: Date of notice
To,
Employee name
Designation, Department
Employee code: Employee code
Subject: Show-cause notice for alleged misconduct on Date of incident
Dear Employee name,
It has been brought to the notice of the management that on Date of incident, What is alleged (facts, in one sentence).
The above conduct, if established, amounts to misconduct under Policy or clause breached, which every employee is bound to observe as a condition of employment. Such conduct also disrupts the work of your team and is contrary to the standards the Company expects of its employees.
You are hereby called upon to explain in writing why disciplinary action should not be taken against you for the conduct described above. Your written explanation, together with any documents or evidence you wish to rely on, must reach Reply to within Time to reply of receipt of this notice.
Please note the following:
If no reply is received within the time stated, it will be presumed that you have no explanation to offer, and the Company will proceed to decide the matter on the basis of the material available with it.
If your explanation is found unsatisfactory, the Company may initiate further disciplinary proceedings, including a domestic enquiry, in accordance with its policies and applicable law.
Disciplinary action may include a written warning, withholding of increment, suspension or termination of employment, depending on the findings and the gravity of the misconduct.
This notice is issued to give you a fair opportunity to be heard. It is not a finding of guilt, and no decision has been taken at this stage. You are advised to treat this matter with the seriousness it deserves and to reply within the time given.
Please acknowledge receipt of this notice by signing the duplicate copy.
For Company name,
Signatory name
Signatory title
Acknowledgement: I have received a copy of this notice on ____________.
Signature of employee: ____________________
What to get right
State the facts, not conclusions. Give the date, time, place, what was done or not done, and who reported it. A vague notice cannot be answered and will not survive scrutiny.
Cite the specific clause of the handbook, standing orders or appointment letter that was breached. The employee must be able to see which rule applies and why the conduct is misconduct.
Give a realistic reply window, usually 48 hours to three working days, and count it from receipt. Record how and when the notice was served, including any email or courier proof.
Do not announce the punishment in the notice. It must ask for an explanation with an open mind; a notice that reads as a decision already made defeats its own purpose.
Read the reply properly and record your reasoning before acting. If the explanation is rejected, say why in the next letter, and hold a proper enquiry for anything serious.
Questions people ask
Is a show-cause notice mandatory before termination?
For misconduct, yes in effect. The principles of natural justice, the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act and the Industrial Relations Code all require that an employee be told of the charge and given a chance to explain before punishment. Skipping the notice makes a termination for misconduct very hard to defend. Termination by notice under the contract, without alleging misconduct, follows a different route.
How much time should the employee be given to reply?
Two to three working days is the norm for routine matters, and up to seven days where the employee needs to gather documents or is on leave. The time must be reasonable for the allegation; a same-day deadline invites a complaint that the employee was denied a fair hearing. Extend it if the employee asks with a reason.
What happens if the employee does not reply?
The notice should say that silence will be treated as having no explanation, and the company may then decide on the material it has. Even so, do not jump straight to dismissal for serious charges: issue a charge sheet, hold a domestic enquiry with the employee invited, and record the findings. For minor matters a reasoned warning letter usually follows.
Can a show-cause notice be sent by email or WhatsApp?
Yes, provided you can prove delivery. Email to the employee’s registered address is widely accepted; WhatsApp read receipts help but are weaker. For an employee who is absent or unreachable, send it by registered post or courier to the address on record as well, and keep the proof of dispatch with the notice.
Usually issued alongside
All templates
In Kuzhu
In Kuzhu, this letter is generated from the employee record: names, dates and amounts fill themselves, the issued copy is filed against the person, and nobody retypes a CTC.
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