Grievance procedure

Introduction #

Whilst we aim to provide a transparent, supportive and safe working environment, from time to time, situations may arise at work that seem wrong or unfair. Whilst rare, these experiences can feel distressing, and it might feel difficult to decide how best to resolve things. 

A grievance is a concern, problem or complaint that staff raise with their employer. It is important that our staff feel they can raise these situations in a safe way without fear of any negative consequences. If you have something that you wish to raise but aren’t sure if it constitutes a grievance you can always discuss it with the People team in confidence.

Maintaining regular and open communication with your line manager can provide a safe opportunity to discuss problems early on and work towards a resolution together. 

This procedure applies to all employees and not to contractors or clients. If you wish to raise something that involves a contractor or client then you should speak to your line manager initially.

Dealing with grievances informally #

When deciding to raise a grievance, it is recommended that you do so in an informal manner first. It might be possible to come to a satisfactory resolution without needing to follow formal proceedings, which can often be stressful and prolonged for all involved.   

If you have a grievance or complaint about your work or someone you work with, you should start by speaking with your line manager or your Head of Department/Discipline. They may be able to support you with finding a solution and prevent an issue from escalating. 

You can also contact a member of the People team for advice or support if you are unsure how to approach the issue or if the grievance concerns your line manager. If your grievance does involve your line manager then the People team will support and/or find another appropriate manager who can support the process.

After raising an issue informally, your line manager may suggest a meeting with the party or parties involved to discuss the matter further. Your line manager or another appointed person (such as a member of the People team) may also attend to help facilitate the discussion and work towards a resolution. 

If you are satisfied with the outcome, then the matter can be closed. Your manager may follow up, in writing, with a summary of your complaint and any agreed actions. However, if you feel your grievance has not been fully resolved, then you can still raise a formal grievance. 

Raising a formal grievance #

If the matter feels more serious, or you have attempted to resolve the issue informally, but aren’t satisfied with the outcome, then you may wish to raise your grievance formally. 

You should put the details of your grievance in writing and share this with your line manager in a timely manner. Your line manager will then share this with the People team. You should clearly state what your grievance is and how the situation has affected you. You should also clarify what action has been taken so far to try and resolve the grievance and your desired outcomes. You should keep to the facts, provide any evidence and avoid language that may be insulting or abusive.

If your grievance concerns your manager and you feel unable to approach them, you should raise it with your Head of Department/Discipline, Director or the People team. 

Grievance meeting #

Your manager will normally be the person who handles and investigates your grievance. In some circumstances, it may not be appropriate for your manager to take on this role and another person will be selected in their place. We would always check that you are comfortable with whomever is handling your grievance before appointing them. 

The person who is investigating your grievance will invite you to an initial meeting, usually within 7 calendar days of receiving your grievance, to discuss. You have the right to be accompanied to this meeting by a colleague or trade union representative. 

A member of the People team will also be present to support the process, possibly accompanied by another People team member to take notes. These notes will be circulated shortly after the meeting so you can confirm they accurately reflect what was discussed. You may also request additional assistance or a reasonable adjustment to help you attend this meeting and any follow-up meetings. You should make the person investigating your grievance or the People team aware of any additional support you need and if you are being accompanied ahead of the meeting.

During the meeting, you will have the opportunity to discuss the details of your grievance and your desired outcome(s). The person investigating your grievance may also ask some further questions about your complaint to better understand the issue and clarify who is involved. 

Investigation #

Following the initial meeting, the person appointed to investigate your grievance will take some time to gather any additional evidence they may need to help them come to a decision. This may include reviewing documents or interviewing people. You will be advised on any further intended investigation prior to this taking place. It may be that you are required to attend another meeting before the investigation concludes if more information is required. 

Investigations will vary in length depending on the situation. You will be kept up to date regularly in terms of timescales.  

Outcome meeting #

Once the investigation has concluded, you will receive the outcome of the investigation and any related decisions or recommendations in writing. You will also be invited to an outcome meeting where the findings of the investigation and any recommendations will be discussed. This meeting will usually be arranged within 7 calendar days of receiving the written grievance outcome. Again, you have the right to be accompanied to this meeting by a colleague or trade union representative. A member of the People team will also be present to support the process, possibly accompanied by another People team member to take notes.  These notes will be circulated shortly after the meeting so you can confirm that they accurately reflect what was discussed. You should make your line manager or the People team aware of any additional support you need, and if you are being accompanied ahead of the meeting.

If other staff members have been named in your grievance, they may also receive an outcome in writing.

As mentioned above, depending on the nature of the grievance, there may be follow up actions linked to the outcome which need to be completed. The People team can help ensure these actions are closed off and are also available to discuss any additional support you may require after the grievance has concluded.

Appeal #

If you are unsatisfied with the outcome of your grievance, you have the right to appeal this within two calendar weeks of receiving a decision. You should send your appeal in writing to the Head of People.

The appeal is not a re-hearing of your original grievance, so you must explain any procedural errors or decisions which you think have been wrong or unfair during this process or why you feel any recommendations are inappropriate. You can also include any additional new evidence that you think may have changed the outcome of the grievance.

You will be invited to an appeal meeting, usually within 7 calendar days of receiving your appeal. Appeal meetings will normally be with a Director and a member of the People team. We will advise who will be hearing your appeal prior to appointing them to ensure no conflict of interest. As with all previous meetings, you have the right to be accompanied by a colleague or trade union representative, and you should advise the People team of any additional support you may need prior to your appeal meeting. 

After the meeting, the Director who heard your appeal will give you a decision, in writing, usually within 7 calendar days. This decision is final.

Confidentiality #

Grievances are often sensitive and difficult situations for everyone involved. It is important to protect the people involved in the process that everything relating to the grievance, including any meetings or correspondence, is kept confidential. We will only share information that is necessary to be shared in order to progress the grievance, and only with those directly involved or affected. For example, if your grievance is about someone else, then we will share the details of the grievance with them. We will always make you aware of what information we are planning to share and with whom. This also means that you must not talk about proceedings with anyone else at work other than those assigned to deal with your grievance and your chosen colleague or union representative.

Changes to this page must be approved by a member of the Senior Leadership Team.

Last updated: 24 January 2024 (history)