When you employee staff it is inevitable that at some point conflict and disagreement will occur. In fact, a recent survey found that 44% of working age adults in the UK experienced conflict at work in 2025.
How your business deals with conflict and employee complaints can make the difference between a workplace issue that is quickly and effectively nipped in the bud and a costly employment tribunal claim.
Managing grievances properly is about legal compliance, protecting working relationships, maintaining employee morale and safeguarding your organisation’s reputation. In this guide, we’ll walk through what employers need to know, including best practice, legal basics and common pitfalls to avoid.
What Is a Grievance?
A grievance is a concern, problem or complaint that an employee raises with their employer. It might relate to working conditions, relationships with colleagues, bullying or harassment, discrimination, pay, workload or changes to terms and conditions.
Not every concern becomes a formal employee grievance. Many issues can, and should, be resolved informally at an early stage. However, if an employee chooses to raise a formal grievance, there is a clear process employers should follow.
The Legal Framework
In the UK, grievance handling is guided by the Acas Code of Practice on Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures, the Code itself is available here.
Acas set out that, “Employers and employees should raise and deal with issues promptly and should not unreasonably delay meetings, decisions or confirmation of those decisions.”
While the Code is not legislation, employment tribunals take it very seriously. If an employer unreasonably fails to follow it, a tribunal can increase compensation by up to 25%.
It’s important to remember that grievances may intersect with legal risks such as discrimination under the Equality Act 2010, whistleblowing protections, or constructive dismissal claims. This is why following a fair and transparent process is so critical.
What Does Best Practice Look Like?
Managing a grievance well is about fairness, consistency and documentation.
- Encourage Early Resolution
Many employee complaints arise from misunderstandings or communication breakdowns. Encouraging managers to deal with concerns informally through open conversations can prevent escalation. However, informal handling should never dismiss or minimise concerns. Employees must feel heard and taken seriously.
- Have a Clear Written Procedure
All employers should have a written grievance procedure in place. It should outline:
- How to raise a grievance
- Who it should be raised with
- The investigation process
- The right to be accompanied
- The appeal process
As the CIPD notes:
“Employers should ensure that grievance procedures are clear, accessible and consistently applied.”
Consistency is key. Handling one employee complaint differently from another can expose your organisation to allegations of unfairness or discrimination.
- Acknowledge the Grievance Promptly
Once a formal grievance is raised, acknowledge it in writing. Confirm next steps and expected timescales. Delays are one of the most common triggers for escalation. Prompt communication shows professionalism and helps maintain trust, even where relationships are strained.
- Conduct a Fair Investigation
A fair investigation sits at the heart of good grievance management.
This means:
- Appointing an impartial investigator (where possible)
- Gathering relevant evidence
- Interviewing witnesses
- Keeping written records
The person investigating should not be the same person who hears any appeal, and if at all possible should not be directly involved in the complaint.
The investigation must be proportionate. Not every grievance requires a lengthy, formal inquiry but every grievance requires fairness.
- Hold a Grievance Meeting
Employees have the statutory right to be accompanied at a formal grievance meeting by a colleague or trade union representative. The meeting should allow the employee to explain their complaint fully and respond to any findings. Employers should approach the discussion with an open mind. After the meeting, communicate the outcome in writing, clearly explaining the decision and any actions to be taken.
- Offer the Right of Appeal
The Acas Code makes clear that employees should be given the opportunity to appeal. An appeal provides an additional safeguard and demonstrates procedural fairness. An appeal should be heard, where possible, by someone more senior and not previously involved in the process.
Common Pitfalls Employers Should Avoid
Even well-intentioned employers can make mistakes when handling a grievance. Here are some of the most common issues:
Ignoring informal complaints – Small concerns left unresolved often grow into formal employee complaints.
Taking sides too early – Managers may instinctively defend a colleague or dismiss concerns, this undermines the perception of fairness.
Failing to document the process – If a case ends up at tribunal, documentation will be crucial, it is vital that you keep clear records of meetings, decisions and evidence.
Delaying unnecessarily – Prolonged processes increase stress and can damage morale, the Acas Code stresses promptness throughout.
Breaching confidentiality – While complete confidentiality cannot always be guaranteed, information should only be shared on a need-to-know basis.
Not following your own procedure – If your grievance policy says you will take certain steps, you must follow them, failing to do so can weaken your position legally.
Why Getting It Right Matters
A poorly managed grievance can lead to:
- Constructive dismissal claims
- Discrimination claims
- Increased tribunal compensation
- Damaged employee engagement
- Reputational harm
On the other hand, a well-managed grievance process can strengthen your workplace culture. Employees are more likely to raise concerns early if they trust the system. That transparency helps employers address issues before they escalate.
Handled correctly, even a serious employee complaint can become an opportunity to improve policies, management capability and communication.
Managing a grievance is rarely comfortable but it is a core management responsibility. By following the Acas Code of Practice, applying fair and consistent procedures, and keeping communication open, employers can significantly reduce legal risk and workplace conflict. At its heart, grievance handling is about respect. Employees want to be taken seriously and treated fairly and when employers approach each employee complaint with professionalism and impartiality this enables employees to feel respected and feel that they are being heard.
Do you have any questions about today’s blog, need help in becoming legally compliant with contracts/policies or can we support you in taking away any people pains to give you peace of mind?
If you answered yes to any of the above, just give us a call at CUBE HR on 01282 678321, or book in a FREE 30 Minute HR Health Check here FREE HR Health Check and we’ll happily give your business a full HR overview with our personal recommendations absolutely FREE!
Why not also check out last weeks blog What is the employment rights act 2025 changing about whistleblowing protections?
We also have a YouTube channel with loads of handy videos outlining various HR related scenarios.
