Grievance Procedure & Hearings

If you're having a problem at work, such as a dispute with your employer, talk to Tees. We'll explain your legal rights and options for getting it resolved.
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Overview

Grievance meetings at work: Advice for employees

If you have concerns or complaints about something that’s happened at work, it’s usually best to try to sort problems out informally. Talk to your employer, starting with your manager – or if they’re the cause of the problem, HR or another manager that you trust. If not suitable for dealing with informally, or matters are not resolved, you may need to raise a formal grievance. 

What is a grievance hearing?

A grievance meeting or hearing will be the meeting that takes place to consider your formal grievance. This is usually after prior informal attempts to resolve the problem have been unsuccessful. 

At the meeting you can communicate your complaint in more detail, share written evidence and ask questions; your employer will also likely ask questions. You will be able to say what it is you want done about the problem; your employer may, reasonably, have already invited to you provide details of your desired outcome. It’s not meant to be an adversarial meeting with two opposing ‘sides’ and both parties should seek to understand and discuss the issues and see how they might be resolved. 

After the meeting your employer should respond in writing and if your grievance isn’t upheld, they should tell you that you can appeal.

You can find out more about raising a grievance on the ACAS website.

I think I’ve been treated unfairly at work – what can I do?

There are very strict time limits for making claims to employment tribunals. You usually have just under three months to make a claim and will need to go through ACAS Early Conciliation first. So if you think you might need to take your employer to an employment tribunal, there’s no time to lose. You need to get expert advice.

How we can help

If you’d like to meet one of our experts for a confidential, no obligation chat, please get in touch.

We have offices across Cambridgeshire, Essex and Hertfordshire, but we can help you wherever you are in England and Wales.

Very good knowledge of the law. Practical advice given in client friendly and appropriate terms.

Our grievance hearing services

 Our specialist employment solicitors can help you by:

  • drafting your grievance

  • briefing you on the process of the grievance meeting

  • advising on strategy and planning the key points you need to get across

  • helping you identify a companion for the meeting – who could be a union representative, or a friend or colleague

  • advising on an appeal against the decision, if your employer does not uphold your grievance and rectify the situation 

  • advising you on how you might pursue a settlement agreement strategy for exit and enter into a “protected conversation” with your employer, if that’s what you ultimately want

  • taking your employer to an employment tribunal and other considerations; this is only if it cannot be resolved and you choose to do this; we will advise you on all the options.

Our experience in grievance procedure & hearings

Key people

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Contact us today

If you’d like to meet one of our experts for a confidential, no obligation chat, please get in touch.