Grievance Procedures
When an employee has a concern, problem or complaint regarding any aspect of their employment it is described as a ‘grievance’.
A grievance can be raised verbally or in writing, however, for a grievance to be formal it must be raised in writing. If a grievance is raised it should be dealt with appropriately. Failure to do so could result in serious consequences for the employer. Even grievances which are not described as being a grievance should be dealt with properly – a grievance doesn’t have to be ‘labelled’ as such in order to be considered.
The procedure
- Employee raises grievance
- Employer investigates grievance
- Employer invites employee to attend a formal ‘grievance meeting’
- Employee attends the grievance meeting
- Employer considers evidence and points raised and decides whether to uphold the grievance
- Employer informs employee of decision in writing and offers right of appeal
If the employee appeals
- Employer invites employee to attend ‘appeal hearing’
- Employee attends appeal hearing
- Employer decides whether to uphold the appeal
- Employer informs employee of decision in writing
If an employee brings a claim against their employer and can show that the employer did not follow the ACAS code of practice, the employee can claim a 25% uplift on the compensation awarded on
this basis. It is therefore important to take legal advice if you need help dealing with a grievance.
- We can update grievance policies and procedures
- We can help if an employee has a grievance and you need assistance dealing with it
