Grievance procedures

Effective Grievance Handling: Key Considerations

A grievance can be any concern or complaint raised by an employee. Employers should approach grievances with care, conducting thorough investigations and remaining objective. Kate advises on handling grievances during disciplinary procedures, managing malicious grievances, and addressing grievances post-employment, including in her specialised grievance investigation training.

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What is a Grievance?

A grievance is a formal complaint raised by an employee about workplace issues, including concerns about management, colleagues, or company practices. Employers must handle grievances carefully to prevent escalation and maintain a positive work environment.

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Investigating Grievances Objectively

Maintaining neutrality in grievance investigations is crucial. Kate frequently conducts independent grievance investigations, ensuring a fair and unbiased review of employee complaints.

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Grievances During Disciplinary Procedures

Handling grievances during disciplinary processes can be complex. Kate advises employers on managing overlapping grievance and disciplinary issues to ensure both are handled properly without compromising either process.

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Managing Vexatious Grievances

Vexatious or malicious grievances can drain time and resources. Kate helps employers identify and manage such grievances, ensuring that they are addressed effectively without disrupting workplace operations.

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Grievances About Without Prejudice Discussions

Sometimes grievances arise from without prejudice or pre-termination negotiations. Kate provides advice on how to handle these grievances while maintaining legal protection for confidential discussions.

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Post-Employment Grievances

Employees can raise grievances even after their employment ends. Kate assists employers in handling these post-employment complaints, ensuring legal obligations are met and reputational risks are minimised.

Kate Walsh Consulting

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Grievance procedures

A grievance can be any concern, problem or complaint that an employee raises with their employer. How the parties approach a grievance can heavily influence the outcome. If an employer responds aggressively or dismissively to a grievance, matters can quickly escalate with the aggrieved employee feeling even more aggrieved. It is therefore important for both parties to keep an open mind, for the employer to fully investigate the employee’s concerns and for the employee to be willing to consider the employer’s perspective.

Objectivity in a grievance process is often critical, which is why Kate is regularly instructed to investigate grievances on behalf of clients. Kate also advises clients on the following:

  • Handling grievances during a disciplinary procedure.
  • Managing vexatious or malicious grievances.
  • Grievances raised about the handling of without prejudice discussions or pre-termination negotiations.
  • Grievances after employment has ended.

Kate also covers the above issues in her grievance investigation training. If your HR teams or managers could benefit from refresher training on how to conduct grievance investigations, please get in touch.