Grievance Procedures

Grievances

Most people will have heard of grievances but what does it mean? A grievance is essentially an expression of discontent regarding a matter concerning their employment. Bringing this matter to the attention of their employer is usually referred to as raising a grievance.

The issues that may lead to raising a grievance are broad, and it may be tempting to employers to regard grievances as an unnecessary distraction, which should be brought to a close as soon as possible. Whatever the circumstances, this temptation should be resisted. Raising a grievance is something that staff are entitled to do, and an Employment Tribunal award can be increased due to an employer’s failure to follow codes of practice on grievance and disciplinary procedures.

What should be done if a grievance has been raised? A good start is to have a robust grievance procedure in place. This document should be easily accessible and should lay out who grievances should be sent to, how the information should be provided, and explain how the grievance will be handled and the different stages involved.

Having a robust grievance procedure in place will demonstrate that concerns will be taken seriously, that all involved will be treated fairly, and will enable everyone to have confidence in the outcome. That being so, having such a grievance procedure in place is as much for the employer’s benefit as the employee.

Remember, when an employee is raising a grievance, use it as an opportunity to show that their concerns will be dealt with in a transparent, sensitive and fair way.  This way, your employee will understand how and why decisions were made. This in turn is likely to increase the trust that the individual has in the organisation and reduces the likelihood of the individual leaving.

Plotkin & Chandler  are experienced in developing grievance procedures and can provide support throughout the process from drafting grievance procedures to attending grievance meetings as part of your team. Either sign up for one of our monthly HR support packages or get in touch to discuss how we can support you on an ad-hoc basis.