How to handle a grievance

My first piece of advice when it comes to grievances is avoiding them in the first place!

Sometimes an employee will be unhappy with something in the workplace and it is important that the problem is resolved. It can save problems for you as an employer down the line if you take action to sort out the complaint quickly and fairly.

Keeping lines of communication open with employees can help. Having regular meetings and informal chats with employees and basically an open door policy can stop situations from escalating into a formal grievance. If, however, the situation cannot be sorted out with an informal chat then a formal procedure is essential to try to resolve the problem.

Having a clear grievance policy in your staff handbook is essential as well as making sure that you follow it if a grievance is raised by an employee.

Don’t panic!

There are three stages to consider; investigation, hearing, appeal. Ideally a different neutral person should manage each stage to keep things fair. If you don’t have enough senior staff to do this then a consultant may step in any of the stages.

If you receive a grievance (usually in writing), arrange for a grievance hearing to be held as soon as possible. Let the employee know that they have the right to be accompanied by a work colleague or trade union representative of their choice. This applies to any appeal hearing as well as to the grievance hearing.

Make sure that the employee gets the chance to fully explain the grievance at the hearing. Ask them what they want to happen as a result of the grievance. They may not have thought of this so this can help them to focus. Ask yourself if you can you deliver that outcome. Decide what action (or not) to take after the hearing and communicate that to the employee, preferably in writing. It is important to try to explain why you have taken that decision.

Don’t forget to tell the employee that they have a right of appeal and who they should contact to raise that appeal and in what timescale. It is also best to put this in writing.

Tips

• Keep the employee informed whilst you are investigating

• Make sure that line managers understand how important it is to handle the grievance properly

• Ensure that you follow your policies

• Keep clear notes

• Keep documents from the investigation, notes of meetings (ideally approved by the employee on each occasion), letters and emails from the employee and the decision letter.

Employment tribunals have little time for employers that don’t handle grievances properly. It is important to follow a fair procedure to avoid an upset in court.