Try to sort your problem informally
It is advisable that you try talking with your employer informally before raising a formal grievance, to see if that helps.
Problems you might want to raise with your employer could involve:
- your terms of employment
- pay and working conditions
- disagreements with co-workers
- discrimination
- not getting your statutory employment rights
How to raise a grievance
If you tried to resolve your grievance informally and this approach did not work, the next step will probably be to consider using your employer’s formal procedures for grievances. You should be able to find these in either your:
- company handbook
- human resources (HR) or personnel manual
- HR intranet site
- contract of employment
Procedures for handling grievance situations should be set down in writing, be specific and clear. Your employer must, at least, give you in writing the name of the person to whom you can apply to seek redress (that is set right) for an employment-related grievance.
The Acas (the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service) Code of Practice on disciplinary and grievances procedures (the Code) sets out the principles of what you and your employer should do to achieve a reasonable standard of behaviour in handling grievance cases. The Code came into effect on 6 April 2009.
In line with the Code, your employer’s grievance procedure is likely to include:
- writing a letter to your employer
- meeting with your employer
- be able to appeal your employer's decision
Further advice and guidance can be found in 'Discipline and grievances at work. The Acas guide'. This guidance, which does not form part of the Code, has been prepared by Acas to help employers and employees understand the Code and how to reflect it in their procedures and behaviour.
If the incident you are complaining about began before 6 April 2009, you may need to follow the pre-6 April 2009 procedure to raise your grievance.
Not following grievance principles
Employment Tribunals will take the Code into account when considering most grievance cases.
You shouldn't be dismissed for raising a genuine grievance about one of your statutory employment rights (eg about discrimination or querying whether you have got the right wages). Neither should you suffer disadvantage (eg not be promoted or lose overtime) for raising a genuine grievance over your employment rights.
The law also protects you from losing your job and/or being victimised if you are making a disclosure in the public interest or 'blowing the whistle'.
