How quickly must I respond to a grievance?

Acknowledge the grievance promptly, ideally within 3-5 working days, confirming you'll investigate. Arrange a meeting without unreasonable delay. While no legal timeframe exists, ACAS guidance suggests completing the process within a reasonable period.

What should the grievance outcome letter include?

The outcome letter should summarise the grievance, explain how you investigated, state your findings, confirm your decision, explain what action (if any) will be taken, and inform the employee of their right to appeal.

Can I reject a grievance without a meeting?

No. The ACAS Code requires you to hold a meeting with the employee to discuss their grievance before making a decision. Skipping this step could make any related tribunal claim more likely to succeed and increase compensation.

PeopleOS | AI HR Advisor for UK Small Businesses

Use these templates to manage the grievance process professionally.

Acknowledgement Letter

[Company Name] [Company Address]

[Date]

Private & Confidential

[Employee Name] [Address]

Dear [Employee Name],

Acknowledgement of Grievance

Thank you for your letter/email dated [date] in which you raised a grievance concerning [brief description of issue].

I acknowledge receipt of your grievance and confirm that it will be dealt with under the Company's grievance procedure.

Next Steps

[Name], [Job Title] will investigate your grievance and arrange a meeting with you to discuss the matters you have raised. You will receive an invitation to this meeting within the next [X] working days.

Your Rights

At the grievance meeting, you will have the right to be accompanied by a work colleague or trade union representative.

Confidentiality

Your grievance will be treated confidentially. Information will only be shared with those who need to know in order to investigate and resolve the matter.

If you have any questions in the meantime, please contact [Name] on [contact details].

Yours sincerely,

[Name] [Job Title]

Grievance Meeting Invitation

[Company Name] [Company Address]

[Date]

Private & Confidential

[Employee Name]

Dear [Employee Name],

Invitation to Grievance Meeting

Following your grievance dated [date], I am writing to invite you to a formal grievance meeting.

Meeting Details

Detail	Information
Date	[Date]
Time	[Time]
Location	[Room/Address]
Meeting with	[Name, Job Title]
Also present	[Note-taker name if applicable]

Purpose

The purpose of this meeting is to:

Discuss your grievance in detail
Understand your concerns fully
Give you the opportunity to explain your position
Ask any clarifying questions
Discuss what outcome you are seeking

Your Grievance

I understand your grievance concerns [brief summary]. Please let me know if this does not accurately reflect the matters you wish to raise.

Right to be Accompanied

You have the right to be accompanied at this meeting by:

A work colleague, or
A trade union representative

If you wish to be accompanied, please let me know the name of your companion in advance.

Preparation

Please bring any documents or evidence that support your grievance. If there are witnesses you would like me to speak to as part of the investigation, please provide their names.

Unable to Attend

If you are unable to attend at the scheduled time, please contact me as soon as possible to arrange an alternative. If you fail to attend without good reason, I may proceed to make a decision based on the available information.

Yours sincerely,

[Name] [Job Title]

Grievance Outcome Letter (Upheld)

[Company Name] [Company Address]

[Date]

Private & Confidential

[Employee Name]

Dear [Employee Name],

Outcome of Grievance

Following the grievance meeting held on [date] and my subsequent investigation, I am writing to inform you of my decision.

Your Grievance

You raised the following concerns:

[Grievance point 1]
[Grievance point 2]
[Grievance point 3 if applicable]

Investigation

In investigating your grievance, I:

Met with you on [date]
Interviewed [names of witnesses]
Reviewed [documents, emails, policies etc.]
[Any other investigation steps]

Findings

Point 1: [Issue] [Summarise what you found and your conclusion - e.g., "I found that [what happened]. I conclude that [your finding]. Your grievance on this point is upheld/partially upheld/not upheld."]

Point 2: [Issue] [As above]

Point 3: [Issue] [As above]

Decision

Based on my findings, your grievance is upheld [or: partially upheld/not upheld].

Actions

In response, the following actions will be taken:

[Action 1 - e.g., policy change, training, disciplinary investigation]
[Action 2]
[Action 3]

[Note: You may not be able to share full details of action taken against other individuals due to confidentiality.]

Right of Appeal

If you are dissatisfied with this outcome, you have the right to appeal. Your appeal should be submitted in writing to [Name, Job Title] within [5/10] working days of receiving this letter, clearly stating the grounds for your appeal.

I hope this resolves the matter, but please contact me if you have any questions.

Yours sincerely,

[Name] [Job Title]

Grievance Outcome Letter (Not Upheld)

[Company Name] [Company Address]

[Date]

Private & Confidential

[Employee Name]

Dear [Employee Name],

Outcome of Grievance

Following the grievance meeting held on [date] and my investigation, I am writing to inform you of my decision.

Your Grievance

[As above]

Investigation

[As above]

Findings

[For each point, explain what you found and why the grievance is not upheld]

Point 1: [Issue] Having investigated, I found that [what happened]. I do not uphold this element of your grievance because [reason - e.g., the policy was correctly applied/the manager acted reasonably/I found no evidence to support the allegation].

Decision

Based on my findings, your grievance is not upheld.

I understand this may not be the outcome you hoped for. [Optional: explain any informal steps that might help, e.g., mediation, facilitated discussion].

Right of Appeal

If you wish to appeal, please submit your appeal in writing to [Name, Job Title] within [X] working days, stating the grounds for your appeal.

Yours sincerely,

[Name] [Job Title]

Appeal Outcome Letter

Dear [Employee Name],

Outcome of Grievance Appeal

Following your appeal hearing on [date], I am writing to confirm my decision.

Grounds of Appeal

You appealed on the following grounds:

[Ground 1]
[Ground 2]

Consideration

I have reviewed the original investigation, the appeal hearing, and [any additional evidence/investigation].

Decision

[Choose one:]

Your appeal is upheld. [Explain what changes to the original decision will be made.]
Your appeal is partially upheld. [Explain which parts are upheld and which are not.]
Your appeal is not upheld. The original decision stands because [reasons].

This decision is final and there is no further right of appeal within the Company.

Yours sincerely,

[Name] [Job Title]

Key Points

Timescales

Stage	Recommended Timing
Acknowledge	Within 3-5 days
Meeting invitation	Within 5-7 days
Outcome letter	Within 5-10 days of meeting
Appeal hearing	Within 5-10 days of appeal
Appeal outcome	Within 5 days of hearing

ACAS Code Requirements

Requirement	Must Do
Written grievance	Employee should submit
Meeting	Must hold before decision
Right to accompany	Must allow
Written outcome	Must provide
Right of appeal	Must offer

Use these templates to manage the grievance process professionally.

Acknowledgement Letter

[Company Name] [Company Address]

[Date]

Private & Confidential

[Employee Name] [Address]

Dear [Employee Name],

Acknowledgement of Grievance

Thank you for your letter/email dated [date] in which you raised a grievance concerning [brief description of issue].

I acknowledge receipt of your grievance and confirm that it will be dealt with under the Company's grievance procedure.

Next Steps

Your Rights

At the grievance meeting, you will have the right to be accompanied by a work colleague or trade union representative.

Confidentiality

Your grievance will be treated confidentially. Information will only be shared with those who need to know in order to investigate and resolve the matter.

If you have any questions in the meantime, please contact [Name] on [contact details].

Yours sincerely,

[Name] [Job Title]

Grievance Meeting Invitation

[Company Name] [Company Address]

[Date]

Private & Confidential

[Employee Name]

Dear [Employee Name],

Invitation to Grievance Meeting

Following your grievance dated [date], I am writing to invite you to a formal grievance meeting.

Meeting Details

Detail	Information
Date	[Date]
Time	[Time]
Location	[Room/Address]
Meeting with	[Name, Job Title]
Also present	[Note-taker name if applicable]

Purpose

The purpose of this meeting is to:

Discuss your grievance in detail
Understand your concerns fully
Give you the opportunity to explain your position
Ask any clarifying questions
Discuss what outcome you are seeking

Your Grievance

I understand your grievance concerns [brief summary]. Please let me know if this does not accurately reflect the matters you wish to raise.

Right to be Accompanied

You have the right to be accompanied at this meeting by:

A work colleague, or
A trade union representative

If you wish to be accompanied, please let me know the name of your companion in advance.

Preparation

Please bring any documents or evidence that support your grievance. If there are witnesses you would like me to speak to as part of the investigation, please provide their names.

Unable to Attend

Yours sincerely,

[Name] [Job Title]

Grievance Outcome Letter (Upheld)

[Company Name] [Company Address]

[Date]

Private & Confidential

[Employee Name]

Dear [Employee Name],

Outcome of Grievance

Following the grievance meeting held on [date] and my subsequent investigation, I am writing to inform you of my decision.

Your Grievance

You raised the following concerns:

[Grievance point 1]
[Grievance point 2]
[Grievance point 3 if applicable]

Investigation

In investigating your grievance, I:

Met with you on [date]
Interviewed [names of witnesses]
Reviewed [documents, emails, policies etc.]
[Any other investigation steps]

Findings

Point 2: [Issue] [As above]

Point 3: [Issue] [As above]

Decision

Based on my findings, your grievance is upheld [or: partially upheld/not upheld].

Actions

In response, the following actions will be taken:

[Action 1 - e.g., policy change, training, disciplinary investigation]
[Action 2]
[Action 3]

[Note: You may not be able to share full details of action taken against other individuals due to confidentiality.]

Right of Appeal

I hope this resolves the matter, but please contact me if you have any questions.

Yours sincerely,

[Name] [Job Title]

Grievance Outcome Letter (Not Upheld)

[Company Name] [Company Address]

[Date]

Private & Confidential

[Employee Name]

Dear [Employee Name],

Outcome of Grievance

Following the grievance meeting held on [date] and my investigation, I am writing to inform you of my decision.

Your Grievance

[As above]

Investigation

[As above]

Findings

[For each point, explain what you found and why the grievance is not upheld]

Decision

Based on my findings, your grievance is not upheld.

I understand this may not be the outcome you hoped for. [Optional: explain any informal steps that might help, e.g., mediation, facilitated discussion].

Right of Appeal

If you wish to appeal, please submit your appeal in writing to [Name, Job Title] within [X] working days, stating the grounds for your appeal.

Yours sincerely,

[Name] [Job Title]

Appeal Outcome Letter

Dear [Employee Name],

Outcome of Grievance Appeal

Following your appeal hearing on [date], I am writing to confirm my decision.

Grounds of Appeal

You appealed on the following grounds:

[Ground 1]
[Ground 2]

Consideration

I have reviewed the original investigation, the appeal hearing, and [any additional evidence/investigation].

Decision

[Choose one:]

Your appeal is upheld. [Explain what changes to the original decision will be made.]
Your appeal is partially upheld. [Explain which parts are upheld and which are not.]
Your appeal is not upheld. The original decision stands because [reasons].

This decision is final and there is no further right of appeal within the Company.

Yours sincerely,

[Name] [Job Title]

Key Points

Timescales

Stage	Recommended Timing
Acknowledge	Within 3-5 days
Meeting invitation	Within 5-7 days
Outcome letter	Within 5-10 days of meeting
Appeal hearing	Within 5-10 days of appeal
Appeal outcome	Within 5 days of hearing

ACAS Code Requirements

Requirement	Must Do
Written grievance	Employee should submit
Meeting	Must hold before decision
Right to accompany	Must allow
Written outcome	Must provide
Right of appeal	Must offer

Grievance Letter Templates

Acknowledgement Letter

Grievance Meeting Invitation

Grievance Outcome Letter (Upheld)

Grievance Outcome Letter (Not Upheld)

Appeal Outcome Letter

Key Points

Timescales

ACAS Code Requirements

Frequently Asked Questions

Grievance Letter Templates

Acknowledgement Letter

Grievance Meeting Invitation

Grievance Outcome Letter (Upheld)

Grievance Outcome Letter (Not Upheld)

Appeal Outcome Letter

Key Points

Timescales

ACAS Code Requirements

Frequently Asked Questions