Grievances are concerns, problems or complaints raised by a staff member with management. Anybody may at some time have problems or concerns with their working conditions or relationships with colleagues that they wish to raise.
You should have in place a proper grievance procedure which is compliant with the law / best practice and, more importantly, you should follow the process whenever you receive a complaint from a member of staff about any aspect of their working life.
The key points to bear in mind are –
- The employer and line manager should try to resolve any grievance informally as a first step;
- If this does not resolve the issue or is not achievable employers should arrange a formal meeting as quickly as possible, and should carry out any necessary investigations to establish the facts of the case.
- Employees can be accompanied at any formal meeting and have the right to appeal against any formal decision made.
Investigating grievances can be time consuming and sometimes, complex. However, it is an extremely important process and one the Employment Tribunals will look at closely in any claim where the employee initially raised a grievance.
We can advise you on how to deal with grievances, what the possible outcomes could be and how to deal with serial grievance raisers. Please call us on 01483 303 636
