Grievance procedure policy

A grievance procedure gives staff a route for raising a concern about their work, their treatment or their terms, and gives the employer a predictable way of dealing with it. This one follows the Acas Code of Practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures.

The Code cuts both ways. A tribunal can increase an award by up to 25 per cent where an employer unreasonably fails to follow it, and reduce one by up to 25 per cent where the employee does. That is a good reason to set timescales you can actually meet and then meet them.

Recognising a grievance

Take every complaint seriously, including one raised informally, in an email, or in a resignation letter. A complaint does not have to be labelled a grievance, or follow the form, or arrive through the right person, to be one. Ignoring something because it came in the wrong shape is the commonest route from a small problem to a claim.

What the procedure contains

Purpose and scope, with an option limiting the procedure to employees. What counts as a grievance and what is dealt with under another procedure instead. The principles. Informal resolution and mediation, both of which resolve more complaints than the formal route does. Raising a formal grievance, including asking the person what outcome they are looking for. Acknowledgement and investigation, the grievance meeting, the decision and the appeal. Grievances raised during disciplinary proceedings, grievances raised after employment has ended, and collective grievances. Records, confidentiality and data protection, and a summary of the procedure step by step at the end.

Records, and the longer window

Keep full written records at every stage and retain them well beyond the end of the process. From 1 October 2026 the time limit for bringing most employment tribunal claims rises from three months to six, so a file may be needed considerably later than expected.

Keep it non-contractual

Clause 18.2 keeps the procedure outside the contract of employment, so that it can be updated without varying anyone's terms. Check that the wording here matches what your contracts and staff handbook say, because a conflict between the three is the kind of detail that surfaces at the worst moment.

Take advice early where the grievance concerns a director, involves discrimination, whistleblowing or a criminal allegation, or where the person raising it has resigned or is off sick.