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Show Cause Notice Template

How do I ask an employee to explain an incident in writing before deciding on discipline?

Ask an employee to explain an incident in writing before you decide on any disciplinary action — a fair, factual show cause notice in English, Arabic or both.

How the show cause notice works

The notice states what came to the company's attention (facts and dates), the policy it may breach, and a deadline in working days for a written explanation, with the option of a meeting with HR. It says clearly that no decision has been made yet. An optional paragraph covers suspension pending the outcome, where your rules allow it. The Arabic version uses formal plural address, as Gulf HR letters do.

Show cause: Asking someone to show why an action should not be taken against them.
لفت نظر: A common Gulf Arabic term for a formal written notice to an employee.

Before you send it

Describe facts, not conclusions — the point is to hear the employee's side first.
Paste onto your letterhead and keep a signed copy as proof of the date it was received.
This is a template, not legal advice.

Next step

If the explanation doesn't resolve it, issue a written warning. Make the rules clear in advance with an HR policy.

Frequently asked questions

What is a show cause notice?

A written request asking an employee to explain an incident — and why disciplinary action shouldn't be taken — by a deadline. In Arabic it's often called لفت نظر or طلب إبداء أسباب. It comes before any decision, so the employee is heard first.

How long should the employee get to reply?

Long enough to respond properly — many companies give 3 to 5 working days. Set the period in your disciplinary rules and apply it consistently. The notice says that if no reply arrives, the company will decide on the information it has.

Can I suspend the employee while I investigate?

Only if your employment contract and approved disciplinary rules allow it, and on the terms they set. The toggle adds a suspension paragraph that refers to those rules rather than to a specific legal article — check your rules before using it.

What happens after the employee replies?

Review the reply and any evidence, then decide: close the matter, give informal feedback, or issue a written warning with the warning letter generator. Keep the notice, the reply and your decision on the employee's file.

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Free HR tool · No sign-up

Show Cause Notice Template

How do I ask an employee to explain an incident in writing before deciding on discipline?

Ask an employee to explain an incident in writing before you decide on any disciplinary action — a fair, factual show cause notice in English, Arabic or both.

Step 1 · Company & letter1/5

Country

Company name

Company address (optional)

Reference number

Letter date

Step 2 · Employee1/5

Employee

MrMs

Sets Mr/Ms and the Arabic wording (Arabic verbs agree with gender).

Employee full name

Employee number (optional)

Job title

Department (optional)

Step 3 · The incident1/4

Issue

Date of the incident (or latest one)

What happened

Keep it factual and specific. Avoid opinions about the person.

Policy or rule breached (optional)

Step 4 · Reply3/3

Days to reply in writing

Offer a meeting with HREmployee is suspended pending the outcomeOnly if your contract and disciplinary rules allow it.

Step 5 · Sign-off1/2

Signed by

Signatory title

EnglishالعربيةBoth

SHOW CAUSE NOTICE

[Company name] (to fill in)

Ref: [Reference number] (to fill in) Date: [Date] (to fill in)

PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL Mr. [Employee full name] (to fill in) [Job title] (to fill in)

Subject: Show cause notice — Repeated late arrival to work

Dear Mr. [Employee full name] (to fill in),

It has come to the Company's attention that [what happened] (to fill in).

You are asked to explain in writing, within 3 working days of receiving this notice, why disciplinary action should not be taken against you. Please include any facts, documents or names of witnesses you would like the Company to consider. You may also ask HR for a meeting to explain your side in person.

No decision has been made yet. The Company will consider your reply before deciding on any action. If no reply is received by the deadline, the Company will decide on the information available to it.

Yours sincerely,

[Signed by] (to fill in) HR Manager [Company name] (to fill in)

Received by (acknowledging receipt only): [Employee full name] (to fill in) Signature: ____________________ Date: ____________

Paste onto your letterhead and keep a copy on file. A show cause notice asks for an explanation — it is not a decision. This is a template, not legal advice.

6 fields still show as [highlighted placeholders] — fill them in or edit after copying.

Get this letter in your inbox (English and Arabic) plus our other GCC HR letter formats.

How the show cause notice works

Show cause: Asking someone to show why an action should not be taken against them.
لفت نظر: A common Gulf Arabic term for a formal written notice to an employee.

Before you send it

Describe facts, not conclusions — the point is to hear the employee's side first.
Paste onto your letterhead and keep a signed copy as proof of the date it was received.
This is a template, not legal advice.

Next step

If the explanation doesn't resolve it, issue a written warning. Make the rules clear in advance with an HR policy.

Frequently asked questions

What is a show cause notice?

How long should the employee get to reply?

Can I suspend the employee while I investigate?

What happens after the employee replies?

Every week this role stays open costs you. Post it free today.

Post the job on MenaJobs free in about 2 minutes. We review every post, and once approved it reaches job seekers across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman.

Post a job free

More free HR tools

Warning Letter Generator

A first, second or final written warning with the incident, expected improvement and the employee's right to reply.

Open tool

Termination Letter Generator

A termination letter with the legal notice period and last working day worked out for you.

Open tool

HR Policy Template

A clear policy document: purpose, scope, rules, responsibilities and approval.

Open tool

Offer Letter Generator

A Gulf-format offer letter with basic pay, allowances, probation and notice, in English and Arabic.

Open tool

See all free hiring tools →