A grievance can be raised by an employee when they have a complaint or feel that they have been treated unfairly.
If the employee raises a grievance the employer is required to act on this complaint without delay. Generally, complaints can be dealt with informally, in accordance with the employers Grievance Policy. In these instances, the matter can be resolved quickly. However, if the employee is not happy with the informal outcome or decides that they want to skip the informal step, due to the severity of the matter, then the employee may choose to make the complaint formal.
In all grievance instances, whether informal or formal, the complaint should be made in writing to ensure there is no confusion or misinterpretation of the facts.
Informal grievance
In most circumstances a grievance can be dealt with informally and resolved by the manager and employee having a conversation to understand how the complaint can be resolved. It is important that the manager responds quickly to ensure that the matter is dealt with promptly to avoid the situation escalating.
Formal grievance
If the employee is not happy with the outcome of the informal process or if they want to raise the complaint formally, they should proceed to a formal grievance.
The role of the line manager hearing the grievance
It is important that line managers fully understand the grievance process and recognise when an employee is raising a grievance. It is easy for managers to make assumptions that the employee is letting off steam or having a moan- this could be the employee’s way of raising an informal grievance. In these instances, the manager should ask the employee if they want to raise a grievance – they then know how to handle the situation.
If the employee is raising a grievance against their line manager, then the employer should find an alternative person to hear the grievance.
The employer should follow these steps when managing the grievance:
- Investigate the grievance, interviewing the people involved/cited
- Arrange a meeting to discuss concerns raised
- Provide an outcome of the grievance with actions
- Allow the employee to appeal the outcome
Increase in grievances raised in the workplace
Personnel today report an increase in grievances raised by employees ‘Nearly a third (30%) of employers have seen employee grievances rise over the past two years, particularly around relationships and pay ‘.
Employers should therefore ensure that they are equipped to manage a potential increase in grievances.
What can employers do?
- Ensure they have a grievance policy in place, outlining the procedure
- Publish the grievance policy, either as a stand-alone policy or within the staff handbook to ensure that employees are aware of the procedure
- Train line managers
- Identify people in the business that can be involved in the investigation process, or outsource to their HR providers, Nockolds HR – notetaking and investigations
If you have any questions relating to your current grievance procedures, or would like further information on how Nockolds HR can support your business, then contact our HR Consultants enquiries@nockoldshr.co.uk or call on 0345 646 0406.