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HR & EMPLOYMENT LAW · ACAS-ALIGNED · NAMED SPECIALIST

How to run a grievance procedure that holds up.

An employee raises a concern, about their treatment, their pay, a colleague, their working conditions, and how you handle it from that moment decides whether it stays a manageable issue or turns into a tribunal claim. A fair, documented grievance procedure is the difference. This guide sets out how to run one properly, in line with the Acas Code of Practice, and gives you a free template to work from.

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START HERE

What is a grievance procedure?

A grievance procedure is the formal route an employee uses to raise a concern or complaint about their work, and the structured process you follow to deal with it. Every employer should have one written down, and staff should know how to use it. Getting the process right protects the employee and protects you: a tribunal can increase or reduce an award by up to 25% depending on whether each side followed the Acas Code.

A formal route to raise a concern

It's the written process an employee uses to raise a complaint about their work, their treatment or their conditions, and the structured steps you take to deal with it fairly.

Written down and known to staff

Every employer should have one in writing, and your people should know how to use it. A procedure nobody can find is one a tribunal will treat as no procedure at all.

Worth up to 25% either way

A tribunal can increase or reduce a compensation award by up to 25% depending on whether each side followed the Acas Code. The process is not paperwork. It's protection.

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THE ACAS-ALIGNED PROCESS

Six steps, in the right order.

Follow these in line with the Acas Code of Practice and the process stands up. Skip one and that's the gap a claim is built on.

— STEP 01
Try to resolve it informally first
Many concerns are best dealt with by a straightforward conversation. Encourage employees to raise issues early and informally where they can. The formal procedure is for when that doesn't resolve it, or the matter is serious.
— STEP 02
Get the grievance in writing
Ask the employee to set out their grievance, what it's about and what they'd like to happen. This anchors the process and avoids "that's not what I meant" later.
— STEP 03
Hold a grievance meeting
Arrange a meeting without unreasonable delay. The employee has the statutory right to be accompanied by a colleague or a trade union representative. Let them explain, ask questions, and don't rush to a conclusion.
— STEP 04
Investigate where needed
If the facts are disputed or unclear, investigate before deciding: talk to witnesses, gather documents, establish what actually happened.
— STEP 05
Decide and respond in writing
Reach a fair, evidence-based decision, communicate it to the employee in writing, and explain it. Set out any action you'll take.
— STEP 06
Offer a right of appeal
Tell the employee they can appeal if they're unhappy with the outcome, and who to. Wherever possible, the appeal should be heard by someone not previously involved.
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WHAT MAKES IT STAND UP

Fairness and evidence. That's what a tribunal looks for.

A procedure stands up when it was followed consistently, decisions were based on facts rather than assumptions, the employee was heard and accompanied, and every step was documented. It falls apart when corners are cut: no meeting, no investigation, a decision that looks pre-made, no appeal. Those are exactly the failures a tribunal seizes on. The template gives you the structure and the right letters. What it can't do is make the judgement calls: when a grievance overlaps with a disciplinary, when an investigation needs to go wider, when a concern is really a discrimination complaint that needs careful handling. Those are where the risk concentrates.

Followed consistently, with every step documented as you go
Decisions based on facts and evidence, not assumptions
The employee heard, accompanied, and given a genuine right of appeal
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An employee raising a workplace concern in a one-to-one meeting
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Grievance getting complicated? Talk to an HR specialist.

An Acas-aligned grievance procedure is only the start — getting the handling right is the hard part. Our HR specialists will talk you through the process for your specific case.

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WHERE THE RISK CONCENTRATES

A template can't make the judgement calls. Your HR specialist can.

A generic procedure won't tell you how to handle the awkward, high-risk grievance in front of you. Your named Spectra HR specialist guides you through it in real time, so the process holds up if it's ever challenged.

Tahlia
Tahlia
HR & Employment Law

“When you have a problem you need to speak to the same person who can help you from that initial phone call all the way through to a resolution. My job at Spectra is to be part of your business and provide you with commercial and practical HR advice. I deal with clients over the phone and in person, and when necessary I can carry out your internal meetings, giving you the peace of mind that what you are doing is the best for you and your business.”

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QUESTIONS

Common grievance procedure questions

What is a grievance procedure?
A grievance procedure is the formal process an employer follows when an employee raises a concern or complaint about their work, their treatment or their conditions. It typically involves the employee putting the grievance in writing, a meeting to discuss it, any necessary investigation, a written outcome, and a right of appeal. Every employer should have one, aligned with the Acas Code of Practice.
How long should a grievance procedure take?
There's no fixed legal time limit, but the Acas Code says grievances should be dealt with without unreasonable delay. In practice, aim to hold the grievance meeting within a few working days of receiving it, investigate promptly, and give the outcome as soon as reasonably possible after the meeting. Keep the employee informed if anything takes longer.
Does an employee have the right to be accompanied at a grievance meeting?
Yes. Where the grievance concerns a duty owed by the employer to the worker, the employee has a statutory right to be accompanied at the meeting by a colleague or a trade union representative. You should remind them of this right when you arrange the meeting.
What happens if I ignore a grievance?
Ignoring or mishandling a grievance is one of the most common routes to an employment tribunal claim. A tribunal can increase a compensation award by up to 25% where an employer unreasonably failed to follow the Acas Code. Beyond the legal risk, an unheard employee is far more likely to escalate, resign or claim. Handling it properly is almost always cheaper.
Can a grievance and a disciplinary run at the same time?
Sometimes. If an employee raises a grievance during a disciplinary process, you may temporarily pause the disciplinary to deal with the grievance, or deal with both together if they're related. These overlapping situations are where employers most often slip up, so it's worth taking advice before deciding how to run them.
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Free: the HR Employment-Law Compliance Assessment

Discipline and grievance is one of ten domains it assesses. See where your employment-law gaps are, with a free 30-minute review of your top priorities.

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A template gets you started. Getting it right is the hard part.

A generic procedure won't tell you how to handle the awkward, high-risk grievance in front of you. Book a free review and we'll tell you what's missing, and your named HR specialist guides you through it in real time so the process holds up if it's ever challenged.

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