- When an employee should use the formal procedure
- The 6 steps at a glance
- Step 2: how to write the grievance
- Step 3: what the employer does before the meeting
- Step 4: the grievance meeting and the right to a companion
- Steps 5 and 6: the outcome and the appeal
- Why the Acas Code matters even though it isn't the law
- The verdict
- Frequently asked questions
A grievance procedure is the formal way an employee raises a problem or complaint with their employer in the UK. The employee puts the grievance in writing, the employer holds a meeting (Acas says ideally within 5 working days), decides the outcome in writing and offers an appeal. If a tribunal finds either side ignored the Acas Code, compensation can be adjusted by up to 25%.
Most grievances start life as an informal chat with a manager, and Acas says that's usually the right first move. The formal procedure is for when the informal route hasn't worked, when the employee doesn't want it handled informally, or when the issue is serious, such as sexual harassment or whistleblowing. Everything below comes from the Acas step-by-step guide and GOV.UK.
When an employee should use the formal procedure
- Raising it informally hasn't fixed the problem.
- They don't want the issue dealt with informally.
- It's a very serious issue, for example sexual harassment or whistleblowing.
Your organisation should have its own written procedure that follows the Acas Code of Practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures as a minimum, and it should be easy for staff to find. If you haven't got one, you must follow the Acas steps and the Code. Size doesn't excuse you: Acas says even a business with one or 2 employees should run a full and fair procedure, although one manager may have to handle it alone.
The 6 steps at a glance
| Step | What happens | Who acts |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Understand the options | Try informal first, check the written policy, consider mediation | Both |
| 2. Raise the grievance | A letter or email setting out the problem, the evidence and what the employee wants | Employee |
| 3. Respond | Acknowledge it, gather evidence from all sides, keep it confidential | Employer |
| 4. The grievance meeting | Held without unreasonable delay, ideally within 5 working days | Both, plus a companion |
| 5. Decide the outcome | A written decision as soon as possible, with the right of appeal | Employer |
| 6. After the grievance | Records kept, staff involved spoken to privately, appeal heard if raised | Employer |
Step 2: how to write the grievance
The employee writes to whoever is most appropriate: their line manager, an HR manager or the employer. If the normal contact is the person the grievance is about, the procedure should say who to write to instead. Acas says the letter or email should cover:
- What the grievance is about.
- Any evidence, for example a payslip or employment contract.
- What they want the employer to do about it, as specifically as possible, for example 'I would like to be paid on time in future'.
Acas also asks for realism. Its example: if a one-off payroll mistake left someone short, it's realistic to expect the employer to investigate and correct the payment. It isn't usually realistic to expect the payroll staff to be dismissed.
Step 3: what the employer does before the meeting
The employer shouldn't assume anything about the grievance or the people in it, and shouldn't discipline anyone involved before gathering all the evidence it can. Where staff have to keep working together, a temporary change can help: Acas's example is rearranging schedules so an employee who says they're being bullied doesn't work alongside the person they've named. If you do that, make it clear it's not a punishment.
If a disciplinary is already running and the employee raises a grievance, the employer can pause the disciplinary and deal with the grievance first, or handle both together if they're related. If several employees share the same grievance, it can be raised collectively.
Step 4: the grievance meeting and the right to a companion
By law, an employee or worker can bring a companion to a grievance meeting when the grievance is about the employer breaching a legal or contractual duty, which can include implied duties such as the duty of care. If you're not sure whether it applies, Acas says it's good practice to allow it anyway. The companion must be one of these:
- A colleague.
- A workplace trade union representative certified by their union to act as a companion.
- An official employed by a trade union.
The companion can take notes, set out the employee's case, respond for them and talk with them during the meeting. What they can't do is answer questions put to the employee, or stop anyone else from explaining their side. For a disabled employee, the employer needs to consider a request to bring someone else for extra support, such as a carer.
At the end, the employer should give the employee a copy of the notes, ask them to confirm they're accurate and say when a decision will arrive. If there's a delay for more investigation, explain how long and why.
Before any hearing someone has to gather the facts, and I cover how to do that fairly in my guide to running a fair workplace investigation.
Steps 5 and 6: the outcome and the appeal
The decision should be based on the meetings and investigation, what's fair and reasonable, and how similar cases were handled before. It goes to the employee in writing as soon as possible. If the grievance is upheld against someone else, a disciplinary procedure may follow. The employee should be offered an appeal, which GOV.UK says should ideally be heard by a manager who hasn't been involved so far.
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Afterwards, keep a confidential written record of every grievance, whatever the outcome, and only for as long as necessary under UK GDPR. If the employee feels everything has been tried and nothing's resolved, they may in some cases go to an employment tribunal, which is where the Acas early conciliation step comes in.
Why the Acas Code matters even though it isn't the law
The Code isn't legislation, but GOV.UK is clear on the consequence: if a claim reaches an employment tribunal and either side didn't follow the Code, compensation could be adjusted by up to 25%. A tribunal will also consider whether an employee had a good reason not to use the procedure, such as finding it too hard to sit in a meeting with someone accused of harassing them.
Grievances often sit next to other disputes. If the complaint is really about how someone is being pushed out, read our guide to constructive dismissal.
The verdict
Write the grievance down, be specific about the fix you want, and expect a meeting within about a week. If you're the employer, the safest procedure is the boring one: written policy, prompt meeting, a companion allowed, a written decision and an appeal heard by someone new. Skipping steps is what costs you later.
On the employer side of a workplace dispute there's a mirror process, which I walk through in my guide to the UK disciplinary procedure.
Frequently asked questions
How long does an employer have to respond to a grievance?
Acas says the grievance meeting should be held without unreasonable delay, ideally within 5 working days.
Can I bring someone to a grievance meeting?
Yes. You can bring a colleague, a certified workplace trade union representative or a trade union official when the grievance is about a breach of a legal or contractual duty.
Does a small business need a grievance procedure?
Yes. Acas says every employer should follow a full and fair procedure, although a small business can adapt it, for example one manager handling it alone.
What happens if the Acas Code isn't followed?
If the case reaches an employment tribunal, compensation could be adjusted by up to 25%.
