Employee Grievance

A grievance is a formal complaint of a concern or problem an employee has about their workplace. It can be any employment related issue from health and safety to harassment to an issue with the terms and conditions of employment. 

When faced with a conflict or issue at work there will always be grievance procedures you can follow to attempt to solve the issue in-house. Taking a case to the Employment Tribunal is expensive and takes a long time. If you can come to a satisfactory resolution with your employer using the in-house procedure it may work out better for everyone concerned. 

What Types Of Grievance Can I Raise?

You can raise any concerns or problems you have in the workplace such as:

• Amendments to your employment contract
• Being asked to take on responsibilities outside your job role
• Issues with wages or working hours
• Poor working conditions in the workplace
• Being discriminated, bullied or harassed in the workplace

How To Raise A Grievance

There is no set way to raise a grievance, every workplace will have their own policy. The grievance process should be outlined in your employment contract or company handbook. This should tell you what you need to do and what happens during each stage of the grievance process.

ACAS has developed a Code of Practice for dealing with complaints and grievances. Whilst the code is not legally binding an employer must have some form of grievance procedure in place. This ensures that both employees and employers follow and adopt a reasonable grievance process.

Generally the process for a grievance is:

• Write a letter to your employer;
• Employer invites you to a meeting. You have the right to be accompanied by a colleague or Union representative at this meeting;
• Employer’s decision;
• Appeal of the employer’s decision if you do not agree;
• Employers final decision

If you are not happy with the final decision you will need to take your complaint to the Employment Tribunal. It is advised that you follow your employer’s grievance process. If your case goes to the employment tribunal, the tribunal will take into consideration whether you have followed the grievance process and may decide to award up to 25% less compensation if you do not follow the correct grievance procedure unless you have a good reason. 

If you are considering constructive dismissal, normally you would be expected to lodge a grievance first before leaving your position.

Another alternative to resolve your grievance would be to enter mediation with your employer – this can happen at any time during the grievance process. Mediation is where an independent third party discusses with you and the employer the concerns or problems you have to find a solution to resolve the dispute. Mediation is voluntary, there is no obligation to enter into mediation but it should be considered as an option when trying to resolve your dispute, particularly if you wish to resolve your claim quickly, as going through the grievance procedure and the employment tribunal can take time.

Should I Try To Solve The Dispute Informally?

If your grievance is minor, you may be better off approaching your grievance with HR informally, or your line manager. Going through the formal grievance procedures may cause tensions in the office, and you may not want to do this for a minor issue. 

However, if your dispute is a more major issue you can still approach it informally. The benefit is that your employer may offer you a settlement agreement without going through the formal procedure. ACAS encourages employees to attempt to resolve issues informally in the first instance to prevent tension between colleagues.

How Can Monarch Solicitors Help?

Monarch Solicitors can provide sound and informed advice to de-escalate your grievance and get your grievance resolved as early as possible to diminish the chance of your grievance going through the tribunals or courts, which can be a costly procedure.

There are many problems which can arise resulting in employees raising a grievance but our employment solicitors are well versed in employment law and dispute resolution to handle all aspects relating to employee grievances. From the outlook, our employment solicitors will be able to identify your position and advise on all possible routes to rectify your grievance as well as providing a clear indication of the likely costs involved for each route and advise on the best way to proceed. Whether you are at the early stages of the grievance process and want us to help you come to an early and amicable truce or whether you are in the advanced stages of the tribunal process, our employment solicitors are well dept to handle your matter at all stages with your best interest in mind.

If you have a dispute at work it can be an emotional and stressful time. Our employment solicitors can provide you with support and guidance in such worrying times to achieve a swift solution in your best interests. 

Our specialist employment solicitors have decades of experience dealing with employment issues. They are well equipped to deal with a whole manner of different cases no matter how big or small. 

Our team have had great success negotiating settlement offers, taking claims to the Employment Tribunal, and many more. Every person we represent receives the same high quality of treatment and personal service.

Legal Costs & Service Transparency

If you are considering taking Court action due to a breach of employment law the legal costs should be weighed against the amount likely to be received in damages.

We know it’s important to your business that the legal costs of the dispute are kept under control so as to not affect your cash flow.

We’ll not only ensure that you’re aware of costs implications from the outset, we’ll provide you with step-by-step cost estimates or fixed fees for each stage of the work. We’ll also consider funding options to suit your business needs so you can be sure that our legal services are cost effective.

For more information regarding legal funding options, please click here for more information.

About Our Employment Team

At Monarch Solicitors, our employment lawyers have vast experience, expertise, and knowledge in resolving all kinds of domestic and international employment disputes, whether it be complex or technical or simply a disagreement over pay and working conditions.

We have particular expertise in relation to the following areas:

• Bullying and harassment
• Constructive dismissal
• Discrimination
• Employment tribunal representation
• Equal pay disputes
• Garden leave
• Maternity and family rights
• Redundancy
• Restrictive covenants
• Settlement agreements
• Unfair dismissal
• Unpaid wages
• Whistleblowing

Contact Our Employment Solicitors

Our expert employment lawyers are available to discuss your employee grievance claims.

Please contact our employment advisors for immediate assistance by sending an email to us at [email protected] and one of our employment solicitors shall call you back. 

Alternatively, please call our employment solicitors in Manchester on 0330 127 8888 for a no obligation discussion.

Monarch Solicitors are a leading UK law firm and our award-winning Manchester solicitors, London solicitors and Birmingham solicitors offer their legal expertise nationally and internationally.

We are also able to leverage an international network spanning across Hong Kong, Turkey and Dubai to provide seamless assistance with cross-border matters relating to employee grievance.