Grievance Policy & Procedure Template

Purpose and Scope

This policy sets out how [Organisation Name] employees raise concerns about their work, employment terms, working environment, or professional relationships, and details how the organisation responds. It applies to all employees, including those on probation.

Specific concerns fall under separate policies:

• Raise concerns about general wrongdoing, legal breaches, or public interest matters under the Whistleblowing Policy.
• Raise complaints of bullying or harassment under the Bullying and Harassment Policy.
• Submit appeals against formal disciplinary action through the Disciplinary Procedure.

This policy is non-contractual and subject to periodic updates.

Working through related paperwork at the same time? See also our Grievance Meeting Invitation Letter Template, Grievance Outcome Letter Template and Written Statement of Employment Particulars Template.

Policy Statement

[Organisation Name] resolves workplace concerns early, thoroughly, and fairly. Formal grievance proceedings follow relevant statutory codes of practice, move forward without unreasonable delay, and remain confidential to the extent permitted by a fair investigation.

No employee will face unfair treatment or detriment for raising a genuine grievance.

Informal Resolution

Try to resolve concerns informally as early as possible:

• Discuss the issue directly with your line manager first.
• If the concern involves your direct line manager, raise the matter with [Alternative Role].
• The manager hearing the concern will assess the issue, agree on practical resolution steps, and log a summary of the discussion in [System/Location].

If informal efforts do not resolve the issue, or if the matter is too serious for informal resolution, follow the formal grievance procedure.

Raising a Formal Grievance

1. Submit the grievance in writing to [Role]. If the grievance involves this individual, submit the written statement to [Alternative Role].
2. Detail the issue, key dates, people involved, informal steps taken so far, and your desired outcome.
3. Attach or list relevant evidence, such as documentation, electronic communications, incident logs, or witness details.
4. [Organisation Name] will acknowledge receipt of the grievance within [Number] working days and assign a manager to handle the case.

The Grievance Meeting

1. Schedule and hold the grievance meeting without unreasonable delay, targeting completion within [Number] working days of receiving the written grievance.
2. Inform the employee in writing of their statutory right to bring a workplace colleague or trade union representative to the meeting.
3. Allow the employee to outline their grievance, explain their preferred resolution, and answer clarifying questions from the hearing manager.
4. Adjourn the meeting if the manager needs to verify disputed facts, interview witnesses, or inspect documents. Reconvene the meeting if new findings require discussion.
5. Maintain an accurate, confidential written record of all meetings and investigative actions.

Outcome and Appeal

1. The manager handling the grievance will issue a written decision within [Number] working days of the final meeting. The outcome letter will outline findings, decisions taken, corrective actions, action owners, and target completion dates.
2. If the employee considers the matter unresolved, they may submit a written appeal to [Senior Role] within [Number] working days of receiving the decision, stating their grounds for appeal.
3. The organisation will arrange an appeal meeting without unreasonable delay. Wherever possible, a senior officer with no prior involvement in the investigation or initial decision will hear the appeal.
4. The manager hearing the appeal will communicate the outcome in writing. This decision is final within the organisation.

Special Circumstances

• Concurrent Disciplinary Action: If an employee raises a grievance during an ongoing disciplinary process, [Role] determines whether to run both processes together or pause the disciplinary action to resolve the grievance first.
• Collective Grievances: When multiple employees raise grievances on the same issue, the organisation may address the matter through a single joint investigation and response. Each employee retains their individual right to appeal.
• Mediation: All involved parties can agree to introduce internal or external mediation at any stage of the process.
• Former Employees: [Organisation Name] handles grievances from former employees at its discretion, for example, [Role] may issue a written response without holding a formal meeting.

Records and Review

Store all written grievances, meeting notes, investigation findings, outcome decisions, and appeal files confidentially within [System/Location]. Retain these records in line with data retention standards and keep them separate from standard operational personnel files.

Review this policy [Review Frequency] or after any grievance case that highlights procedural improvements.

• Document Owner: [Role]
• Next Review Date: [Date]