By Nicola Stibbs
Brightmine editor: Laura Merrylees
Effective grievance procedures are essential for maintaining a fair, transparent, and legally compliant workplace.
Our guide outlines how employers should manage employee grievances in line with the Acas Code of Practice, providing practical steps to ensure issues are handled consistently, promptly, and with full HR compliance.
In this guide, learn about:
- Principles for dealing with grievance fairly
- Confidentiality during grievance procedure
- Stages of dealing with grievance
- Drawing up and communicating grievance procedure
- Grievances related to discrimination, bullying or harassment and whistleblowing
- Worker’s right to be accompanied at grievance meeting
- Meetings where individual can be accompanied
- Identity of companion
- “Reasonable” request to be accompanied
- Postponement of grievance meeting if chosen companion unavailable
- Companion’s role at grievance meeting
- Paid time off for companion
- Collective grievances
- Grievances raised by ex-employees
- Written statement of terms and conditions of employment
- Remedies and penalties
- Uplift for failure to follow Acas code
- Constructive dismissal
- Failure to permit worker to be accompanied
- Companion’s protection against detriment or dismissal
- Future developments
- Collective grievances
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About the authors
Nicky Stibbs
Nicky Stibbs has many years’ experience in employment law having worked in the field since 2002. Her experience includes eight years as an associate at Bevan Brittan LLP. She also worked for several years as a senior employment lawyer at a unitary local authority. She has a broad range of experience in defending employers in the employment tribunal, advising employer appeal panels and on day-to-day employee relations, as well as TUPE and organisational change.
Nicky is a freelance writer of employment law articles for law firms. She works for Bevan Brittan LLP as a consultant solicitor and is an associate at Collingridge Employment Law, where she advises SMEs and individuals.
Laura Merrylees
Having qualified as a solicitor in private practice, Laura spent fourteen years working in-house for a large telecommunications organisation, specialising in employment law. Laura advised on a broad range of employment law matters, both contentious and advisory. During her time in practice, Laura worked closely with HR professionals and senior management and delivered training to HR teams.
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