Start from your situation
An employee has raised a grievance? Here is what to do, in order.
A grievance goes best when it is acknowledged quickly, handled by someone who is not part of it, recorded as it goes and decided fairly. Here is the order, with a link for each step. It is practical guidance, not legal advice.
Record the case and keep the evidence in one place.
From the day it is raised to the day it is closed
7 steps, in order. Each one links to the page that explains it.
Acknowledge it and note when it arrived
Tell the employee you have received it and who will deal with it. Write down the date and how it came in: a form, an email, a letter or a conversation. If they raised it from their HRHive portal, they were sent an acknowledgement and can follow the status there. If it came another way, record it yourself, so it has an owner and a date from the start. The grievance record template captures the same details on paper.
Find your policy and read the Acas code
Find the grievance policy the employee was given, and check what it says about who deals with a grievance and in what order. The Acas Code of Practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures is the main published guidance, and the law page explains it in plain English, with its sources. HRHive does not decide any of this for you.
Choose who deals with it, and who can see it
Pick someone who is not named in the grievance and was not part of what it describes, and keep the circle small. In HRHive a grievance opens as HR only, and anyone recorded as named in the case can never open it or own it. When you record a case yourself, name the people it is about under About. If the employee raised it in the portal, check who is mentioned and who owns the case, and set it to Restricted if that person has access. If the person it is about would normally handle HR matters, someone else takes it, or an outside adviser.
Grievances and casesArrange the meeting and check who can attend
Invite the employee to a meeting to explain the grievance, with enough notice to prepare. Before you set the date, read about the right to be accompanied: the law page explains when it applies and who can come. Choose a date that works for them as well, and tell them who will be there.
Hold the meeting and write it up fairly
Let the employee explain what happened, what they have tried and what they would like to happen. Listen first. Keep notes of who said what, and offer them a chance to read the notes. You can say what happens next without promising an outcome. Add the notes to the case as a meeting record, marked internal or shared with the employee.
Look into it, and hear the other side
Decide what needs checking. Give the person the grievance is about a fair chance to respond. Speak to anyone who saw or heard what happened, and write down what each person says in their own words. Put the evidence, such as emails and messages, on the case rather than in inboxes. Treat each person the same way, and share what you learn only with the people who need it.
Decide, record the outcome and keep the file
Write down what was decided and why, with any actions agreed, names and dates. Tell the employee, including what your policy says they can do next if they are not satisfied. In HRHive, record the outcome on the case. If they raised it in their portal, they can see it there. Then close the case and keep the file as it is, because a grievance can lead to a conversation with Acas or a claim to an employment tribunal. The disputes and tribunals hub explains what can follow.
What you will have at the end
- The grievance recorded as a case, with an owner who is not named in it
- Only the people who need to see it able to see it
- A dated note of each meeting and of each person's account
- The evidence kept on the case, not scattered across inboxes
- A written outcome, and the employee told
- A file you can print if someone asks
If an adviser helps you
If you use an HR consultant, you can invite them into your organisation with the HR role, and they then see cases as HR does. If the grievance is about the person who normally handles HR, an outside adviser can take it instead. See how HR consultants work in HRHive.
Practical guidance, not legal advice
This page is a practical order to work in. It does not say what the law requires, and HRHive does not give legal advice. The linked law pages explain the rules in general terms, with their sources. If you are unsure what to do, or the matter is serious, take advice before you decide.