How long does an employer have to respond to a grievance? There are several reasons you might raise a grievance with an employer – although it’s always advisable to raise a grievance informally first.
In plain English, that simply means speaking to your employer and explaining what your concern is.
And once you’ve raised a grievance, your employer should hold a grievance meeting within 4 weeks unless there’s any extenuating circumstances.
To be connected to a specialist employment solicitor near to where you live, please either call us now on 0845 1391399 or complete a Free Online Enquiry.
What Reasons Are There For Raising A Grievance?
There are many reasons why you might raise a grievance, such as:
- You may have raised a grievance informally but feel it hasn’t had the desired effect
- You don’t want the issue to be dealt with informally and want a formal process to determine the outcome
- It’s a serious issue such as non-payment, whistleblowing, or harassment
It might also be relating to other terms and conditions in your employment contract, things you’ve been asked to do as part of your role, the way you’ve been treated, or even if you’ve experienced bullying or discrimination at work.
Crucially, if you feel like you’ve been discriminated against because of protected characteristics or beliefs (sex, age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief) then this is a serious discrimination case and should be treated with careful consideration by your employer.
How Does The Grievance Process Work?
Once you raise a formal grievance, there’s a formal procedure that all employers should follow.
Acas sets out a code of practice, although most employers should have their own grievance procedure in place. The procedure should follow the Acas guidance as a minimum and be in writing AND easy for anyone to find.
That means that they should make it clear that they’ll process ALL grievances fairly and consistently and give everyone a chance to make their case before coming to a decision.
There must be an investigation to ensure that all information is brought forward, and employers can bring a relevant person to a grievance meeting – that might be a legal presentative, union representative, or someone from the Citizen’s Advice Bureau.
Any actions arising from the grievance meeting should be taken as soon as possible and the employee must be given the opportunity to appeal against the outcome.
From an employee perspective, you should always raise any grievance as soon as reasonably possible and act on any decisions as soon as you can.
The process should flow as follows:
- Raise an informal grievance with your employer to see if you can resolve the issue without any formal action
- If you’re unable to resolve it, then write to your employer and inform them of your decision to raise a formal grievance, outlining your reasons for doing so
- You’ll then have a grievance meeting once all evidence has been collated and the investigation has been concluded
- An outcome will be reached, and you’ll be given the opportunity to appeal any decision if you disagree with it
- If you still feel that you haven’t reached the outcome you were looking for, you might consider taking the case to an employment tribunal
Employment Solicitors Near Me
If you’ve raised a grievance or you’re considering raising a grievance against your employer, it can be a stressful and challenging time.
The good news is that at Solicitors Near Me, we connect you with expert employment solicitors near to where you live for FREE, so you can get expert legal advice to help with ensuring you’re paid the money you’re owed by your employer.
You’re under no obligation to press ahead with the solicitor we connect you with and until you decide to proceed, everything is completely FREE.
Find An Employment Solicitor Now
To be connected to a specialist employment solicitor near to where you live, please either call us now on 0845 1391399 or complete a Free Online Enquiry.
