What is a Grievance at Work? Definition and Examples

A grievance is a formal way for employees to raise concerns about their work, working environment, or how they're being treated. Understanding what constitutes a grievance helps both employees and employers handle workplace issues appropriately.

Definition of a Grievance

Legal Definition

A grievance is:

• A formal complaint by an employee
• About work, working conditions, or treatment
• That requires employer investigation
• Following a structured procedure
• Under the ACAS Code of Practice

Key Characteristics

Formal process:

• Written complaint (usually)
• Investigation required
• Meeting held
• Formal outcome given
• Right to appeal

Employee-initiated:

• Raised by employee
• About their concerns
• Seeking resolution
• Requires employer action

Work-related:

• Connected to employment
• Affects the employee
• Within employer's control
• Legitimate workplace concern

What Can Be a Grievance?

Common Grievance Topics

Treatment by managers:

• Bullying or harassment
• Unfair treatment
• Abuse of authority
• Aggressive behavior
• Micromanagement
• Lack of support

Working conditions:

• Health and safety concerns
• Working environment
• Equipment or facilities
• Working patterns
• Workload issues
• Lack of resources

Terms and conditions:

• Pay disputes
• Hours of work
• Holiday entitlement
• Benefits
• Contract terms
• Job role changes

Discrimination:

• Age discrimination
• Sex discrimination
• Race discrimination
• Disability discrimination
• Religion or belief
• Sexual orientation

Relationships at work:

• Colleague conflicts
• Team dynamics
• Communication issues
• Exclusion from team
• Breakdown in relationship

Organizational changes:

• Restructuring concerns
• New policies
• Changes to role
• Reporting lines
• Working practices

Career development:

• Promotion denial
• Training opportunities
• Performance management
• Career progression
• Performance review fairness

What's NOT a Grievance?

Disciplinary Matters

Employer complaints about employee:

• Performance issues
• Conduct problems
• Attendance issues
• Policy breaches

These are disciplinary matters, not grievances.

General Complaints

Day-to-day grumbles:

• Minor annoyances
• Personal preferences
• Personality clashes
• One-off incidents
• Trivial matters

These should be raised informally.

Collective Issues

Whole workforce matters:

• Company-wide policy changes
• Industry standards
• Market conditions
• Business strategy

May need collective consultation, not individual grievances.

External Matters

Outside employer control:

• Personal life issues
• External relationships
• Non-work activities
• Third-party actions (unless employer responsibility)

Grievance vs. Other Processes

Grievance vs. Complaint

Grievance	Complaint
Formal process	Informal discussion
Written usually	Verbal often
Investigation required	May be resolved immediately
Meeting held	Discussion may suffice
Right to be accompanied	No formal right
Right to appeal	Not usually
Follows ACAS Code	Informal resolution

When to complain informally:

• Minor issues
• First occurrence
• Could be misunderstanding
• Likely quick resolution
• Don't want formal record

When to raise formal grievance:

• Serious matters
• Informal approach failed
• Pattern of behavior
• Need formal investigation
• Want recorded outcome
• Legal implications

Grievance vs. Disciplinary

Employee Grievance	Employer Disciplinary
Raised by employee	Raised by employer
Employee complains	Employer complains
About treatment received	About employee conduct/performance
Employee is complainant	Employee is respondent
Seeks resolution	May lead to sanction

Can happen together:

• Employee facing disciplinary raises grievance
• May be tactical
• May be genuine concern
• Employer must consider both
• Deal with grievance first if affects disciplinary

Grievance vs. Whistleblowing

Grievance	Whistleblowing
Personal complaint	Public interest disclosure
Affects the employee	Affects others/public
Employment relationship	Potential wrongdoing
Standard procedure	Protected disclosure
Normal protections	Enhanced protection

Whistleblowing involves:

• Criminal offenses
• Breach of legal obligation
• Miscarriages of justice
• Health and safety dangers
• Environmental damage
• Covering up wrongdoing

Examples of Valid Grievances

Example 1: Bullying

"I am raising a formal grievance about the treatment I have received from my line manager, Sarah Smith. Over the past 3 months, she has regularly shouted at me in front of colleagues, made derogatory comments about my abilities, and excluded me from team meetings. This has affected my wellbeing and I believe constitutes bullying."

Why this is a grievance:

• Serious matter
• Affects employee directly
• Pattern of behavior
• Work-related
• Needs investigation

Example 2: Working Conditions

"I wish to raise a grievance about the working conditions in the warehouse. The heating has not worked for 6 weeks, temperatures are regularly below 10°C, and despite raising this informally multiple times, no action has been taken. This affects my health and safety at work."

Why this is a grievance:

• Health and safety concern
• Employer's responsibility
• Informal attempts failed
• Legitimate workplace issue
• Needs formal resolution

Example 3: Discrimination

"I am raising a grievance about discrimination. Since returning from maternity leave, I have been excluded from client meetings, given less interesting work, and passed over for a promotion I was previously promised. I believe this amounts to maternity discrimination and detriment."

Why this is a grievance:

• Protected characteristic
• Pattern of treatment
• Legal implications
• Serious matter
• Requires investigation

Example 4: Pay Dispute

"I am raising a formal grievance about my pay. My contract states I am entitled to an annual bonus based on company performance. Despite the company meeting all performance targets, I have not received a bonus for the past two years while colleagues in similar roles have. I believe this is a breach of my contract."

Why this is a grievance:

• Contractual matter
• Affects terms of employment
• Clear disparity
• Financial impact
• Needs resolution

Examples of Matters NOT Requiring Grievance

Example 1: Minor Incident

"My colleague made a joke that I didn't find funny yesterday."

Why not a grievance:

• One-off incident
• Minor matter
• Could be misunderstanding
• Should raise informally
• Disproportionate to use formal process

Example 2: Management Decision

"I don't like the new policy requiring us to work in the office 3 days per week instead of 2."

Why not a grievance:

• Business decision
• Applies to everyone
• Not personal treatment
• May be subject to consultation
• Normal management prerogative

Example 3: External Matter

"I'm upset about comments my colleague made about me on their personal social media at the weekend."

Why not a grievance (usually):

• Outside work
• Personal capacity
• Not in working time
• May not be employer's concern
• Unless impacts work environment

When to Raise a Grievance

Consider Informal First

Try informal resolution if:

• First occurrence
• Minor issue
• Possible misunderstanding
• Manager approachable
• Quick resolution possible

Informal approaches:

• Direct conversation
• Mediation
• HR guidance
• Manager discussion
• Team meeting

Raise Formal Grievance If

Go formal when:

• Informal attempts failed
• Serious matter
• Pattern of behavior
• Need recorded outcome
• Legal implications
• Loss of trust
• Manager is the problem

Don't Delay Too Long

Act reasonably promptly:

• Stale complaints harder to investigate
• Evidence may be lost
• Memories fade
• Tribunal time limits may apply
• Delays suggest not serious

But also:

• No strict legal time limit
• Can grieve historical matters
• Delays may be reasonable
• Context matters

The Scope of Grievances

What Employers Must Address

Employers should address grievances about:

• Matters within their control
• Work-related issues
• Employee treatment
• Working conditions
• Terms of employment
• Relationships at work

What Employers Can't Fix

Employers aren't responsible for:

• Other companies' actions
• Market conditions
• Government policy
• Industry-wide issues
• External factors
• Personal preferences

But should still listen and explain.

Purpose of Grievance Procedures

For Employees

Grievance procedures provide:

• Formal channel for concerns
• Right to be heard
• Fair investigation
• Considered outcome
• Right to appeal
• Record of issues

For Employers

Grievance procedures help:

• Resolve issues early
• Prevent escalation
• Identify problems
• Demonstrate fairness
• Avoid tribunal claims
• Maintain relationships

Legal Framework

ACAS Code requires:

• Reasonable procedure
• Without unreasonable delay
• Fair investigation
• Meeting held
• Right to be accompanied
• Right to appeal

Consequences of failure:

• Tribunal uplift (up to 25%)
• Constructive dismissal risk
• Evidence in other claims
• Reputational damage

Grievance Culture

Positive Approach

Encourage:

• Open communication
• Early resolution
• Speaking up
• Informal discussions
• Problem-solving

Avoid:

• Fear of raising issues
• Dismissing concerns
• Retaliation
• Defensive reactions
• Delay tactics

Balance Required

Neither extreme is healthy:

Too few grievances:

• Suppressed concerns
• Fear of reprisal
• Problems festering
• Poor culture

Too many grievances:

• Everything formalized
• Breakdown in trust
• Bureaucracy
• Relationships damaged

Healthy middle ground:

• Informal resolution where possible
• Formal process when needed
• Open communication
• Mutual respect

Checklist: Is This a Grievance?

Yes, Raise a Grievance If

• Serious work-related matter
• Affects you personally
• Within employer's control
• Informal approach tried or inappropriate
• Needs investigation
• Want formal outcome
• Potential legal issues
• Pattern of behavior
• Affecting your work/wellbeing

No, Try Informal First If

• Minor issue
• One-off incident
• Possible misunderstanding
• Quick resolution likely
• First occurrence
• Manager approachable
• No serious harm
• Proportionate to discuss informally

Seek Advice If

• Unsure whether formal or informal
• Serious allegations (discrimination, harassment)
• Complex situation
• Multiple issues
• Potential tribunal claim
• Involves senior management
• Whistleblowing element

Key Principles

What Makes It a Grievance

Essential elements:

• Employee-initiated
• Work-related concern
• Formal complaint
• Requires investigation
• Seeks employer resolution

Right Approach

For employees:

• Try informal first (if appropriate)
• Be clear what the issue is
• Explain what you want
• Be reasonable
• Follow procedure

For employers:

• Take all grievances seriously
• Investigate fairly
• Act without unreasonable delay
• Follow ACAS Code
• Communicate clearly
• Allow appeal

A grievance is a formal mechanism for resolving workplace concerns. Understanding when to use it - and when informal resolution is more appropriate - helps create a positive workplace culture while ensuring serious matters are properly addressed.