Grasping grievances

A grievance occurs when an employee has problems or concerns with their work or working relationships. They can be tricky and time consuming for management to deal with, so this month, we are sharing with you our top tips for handling employee grievances:

1. Try where possible to resolve issues informally
2. Approach grievances promptly, fairly and consistently
3. As soon as a written grievance is received, respond promptly
4. A grievance may not necessarily be stated as a formal letter – email correspondence, resignation letters and even stroppy post it notes could be taken to be a grievance. If in doubt, ask the employee if it was their intention to make a formal grievance
5. Arrange to meet with the employee
6. Allow the employee to be accompanied if they wish (either by a colleague or Trade Union representative)
7. Listen to the grievance and decide whether further investigation is needed
8. Respond promptly, in writing to the employee advising them of the proposed resolution to the grievance and of their statutory right to appeal

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