EMPLOYMENT LAW

Grievance Policy & Process

A grievance process if where, as an employee, you formally raise with your employer your unhappiness about something that is happening in the workplace. Here, we have covered the most commonly asked questions around the grievance process. How should I raise a grievance ay work? When should I raise a grievance at work? And, what are the types of grievance at work? It is all here and more – your one stop employment law shop for free legal information about the grievance process. If we have not covered something and you would like to speak to one of our expert employment solicitors, please email info@qlaw.co.uk or call us on 03300 020 365!

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Grievance Policy & Process FAQs

A grievance is a formal way for an employee to raise a problem or complaint to their employer.

A grievance process is the process through which a grievance can be investigated and dealt with. You can usually find your employer’s grievance policy and procedure in their staff handbook or office manual, or sometimes in your contract of employment. If your employer changes or updates the grievance policy, they should notify all staff of any changes.

A grievance policy is the process through which a grievance can be investigated and dealt with. You can usually find your employer’s grievance policy and procedure in their staff handbook or office manual, or sometimes in your contract of employment. If your employer changes or updates the grievance policy, they should notify all staff of any changes.

You can usually find your employer’s grievance policy and procedure in their staff handbook or office manual, or sometimes in your contract of employment. If your employer changes or updates the grievance policy, they should notify all staff of any changes.

A grievance letter is a formal letter in which you set out the details of the complaint about something which happened at work or the problem that you want to raise with your employer. It should set out relevant dates, including when things started, and each event you want to complain about, along with any details of how you have tried to resolve matters.

The grievance policy or procedure will set out the process you need to follow to raise a grievance at work. Generally, you will need to set out the details of your complaint or problem that you want to raise with your employer in writing and submit it to, usually, your manager or to a more senior manager if your complaint relates to your own manager. Sometimes you will have to submit your grievance to HR, or via a portal on the organisation’s intranet – in any event, this should be made clear in the grievance policy or procedure.

You should raise a grievance at work whenever you want to make a formal complaint about something that has happened, or a problem at work. This might be because you are being bullied or harassed, or feel you are being treated badly because of discrimination, of if you feel you have been passed over for promotion or unfairly received a poor appraisal. You should also raise a grievance if you have concerns about health and safety. There may be circumstances where you should follow your employer’s whistleblowing reporting procedure, rather than the grievance procedure, but this is outside the scope of these FAQs.

You should raise a grievance at work whenever you want to make a formal complaint about something that has happened, or a problem at work. This might be because you are being bullied or harassed, or feel you are being treated badly because of discrimination, of if you feel you have been passed over for promotion or unfairly received a poor appraisal. You should also raise a grievance if you have concerns about health and safety. There may be circumstances where you should follow your employer’s whistleblowing reporting procedure, rather than the grievance procedure, but this is outside the scope of these FAQs.

It’s possible to use a grievance as a step towards a negotiated exit, or in other words, getting a settlement deal to leave your employment and receive a compensation payment. However, you need to tread carefully in how you approach matters if this is your aim, and should seek specific legal advice before starting a grievance, so your employment law solicitor can advise fully on your position and options, and work with you to put a strategy together to best achieve your aims.

Yes – we would say that wouldn’t we?! But, employment law can be very complicated, and especially if you want to achieve a negotiated exit – or in other words, a settlement deal to leave your employment with a deal and a compensation payment – we would always recommend that you seek advice before raising a formal grievance so your employment law solicitor can advise fully on your position and options, and work with you to put a strategy together to best achieve your aims.

Grievances at work can include complaints about anything that has happened at work. This could include complaints about discrimination, such as discrimination or unfair treatment because of age, sex, race, disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief, or gender reassignment. It could also include complaints about harassment, sexual harassment, bullying, any form of apparent wrongdoing by your employer (whistleblowing), unfair appraisals, being passed over for promotion, unfair selection for redundancy, such as because you are pregnant or on maternity leave, or because you have made a flexible working request.

The grievance policy or procedure will set out the process you need to follow to raise a grievance at work.  Generally, you will need to set out the details of your complaint or problem that you want to raise with your employer in writing and submit it to, usually, your manager or to a more senior manager if your complaint relates to your own manager.  Sometimes you will have to submit your grievance to HR, or via a portal on the organisation’s intranet – in any event, this should be made clear in the grievance policy or procedure.

The hearing manager will go through your formal grievance letter, and may ask you questions about it, or discuss the situation and how you’d like things resolved. They will then adjourn matters so they can finish investigating, speak to any witnesses, and once that is completed they will issue a written decision.  You should be given the opportunity to appeal against the grievance decision, and details of how to appeal should be in the grievance policy and usually are set out in the grievance decision letter.

A grievance is a complaint about anything that happened at work, or any problem at work.  Your employer’s grievance policy or procedure will set out the process you need to follow to raise a grievance at work.  Generally, you will need to set out the details of your complaint or problem that you want to raise with your employer in writing and submit it to, usually, your manager or to a more senior manager if your complaint relates to your own manager.  Sometimes you will have to submit your grievance to HR, or via a portal on the organisation’s intranet – in any event, this should be made clear in the grievance policy or procedure.

Bear with us as we’re intending to post a template grievance policy here shortly for you to use as a guide! It’s better to have a grievance policy specifically tailored for your business, though, with appropriate details such as who to address grievances to, who will investigate and hear a grievance, and how you will deal with grievance appeals.

We would provide you with a pack made up of an appropriately tailored grievance policy, disciplinary policy and performance management policy.  If you wanted a full staff handbook, we can do that too.

Bear with us as we’re intending to post a template grievance policy here shortly for you to use as a guide! It’s better to have a grievance policy specifically tailored for your business, though, with appropriate details such as who to address grievances to, who will investigate and hear a grievance, and how you will deal with grievance appeals.

We would provide you with a pack made up of an appropriately tailored grievance policy, disciplinary policy and performance management policy.  If you wanted a full staff handbook, we can do that too.

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