Workplace Grievance Procedure UK: How It Works

Overview

A grievance is any concern, problem or complaint an employee raises with their employer about work. The scope is genuinely broad. It can cover pay disputes, changes to duties, issues with a manager, bullying or harassment, discrimination concerns, health and safety worries, or disagreements about how a contract is being applied.

The grievance procedure itself is the structured path the employer follows to hear that complaint and respond to it. Most UK employers follow the Acas Code of Practice on Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures, which sets out the minimum fair-handling standards tribunals expect to see.

While the Code is not law on its own, an unreasonable failure to follow it can lead to tribunal awards being adjusted by up to 25%. Employers should also have their own written grievance policy, usually set out in the staff handbook or contract of employment, explaining who to raise a concern with and how the process runs in that particular workplace.

Key steps

1. Try to resolve the issue informally first. Before triggering a formal process, it often helps to raise the concern directly with a line manager or the person involved. Many issues, including misunderstandings over rotas, pay queries or tone at work, can be sorted through a straightforward conversation without the need for written submissions or formal meetings.
2. Put the grievance in writing. If informal discussion does not resolve matters, the employee should set out the complaint in a written letter or email to the appropriate manager or HR contact. The document should describe what has happened, when, who was involved, and what outcome the employee is seeking. Keep it factual and avoid emotive language where possible.
3. Attend the grievance meeting. The employer should arrange a meeting to hear the complaint without unreasonable delay. The employee has a statutory right to be accompanied by a colleague or a trade union representative. Both sides should come prepared with relevant facts, dates, and any supporting material such as emails, rotas or witness accounts.
4. Receive the written outcome. After the meeting, the employer should investigate where needed and then confirm its decision in writing. The response should explain what has been decided, the reasoning behind it, and any action the employer intends to take, whether that is changes to working arrangements, mediation, disciplinary steps against another party, or a conclusion that the complaint is not upheld.
5. Appeal if the outcome is unsatisfactory. If the employee disagrees with the decision, they can appeal, normally within a timeframe set out in the employer's policy. The appeal should ideally be heard by someone more senior who has not been involved before. The outcome of the appeal is usually final within the internal process, after which external routes such as Acas early conciliation or an employment tribunal may be considered.