Workplace procedures
Grievances and appeals
Plan a workplace grievance or disciplinary appeal, preserve evidence and understand how the ACAS Code can affect a later Employment Tribunal claim.
What you need to know
A grievance records a workplace complaint and asks the employer to address it. An appeal challenges a disciplinary or dismissal decision. Both processes can clarify the issues, preserve evidence and give the employer an opportunity to correct a problem.
Clear dates, specific events, supporting documents and a realistic requested outcome are usually more useful than broad accusations or legal labels without facts.
What to do
Step 1
Try an appropriate informal step
Where it is safe and suitable, record what was raised informally, with whom and how the employer responded.
Step 2
Write a focused grievance or appeal
Set out the decision or conduct challenged, the key dates, the evidence and the outcome you want.
Step 3
Prepare for the meeting
Organise the documents, identify disputed facts and consider the right to be accompanied.
Step 4
Keep the outcome and act promptly
Save the written response and remember that an internal process does not normally stop an Employment Tribunal deadline.
Check the details
Raising a grievance
Understand the grievance procedure meaning and how to raise concerns at work following grievance procedure acas standards.
Informal Complaint First
The ACAS recommendation to try resolving issues informally.
Formal Written Grievance
The correct way to document your work complaint.
Keeping Evidence and Logs
How to evidence your grievance for tribunals.
Employer's Grievance Response
The duty to hold a meeting and communicate a decision.
Disciplinary procedure
A guide to the disciplinary procedure uk, including acas standards and the disciplinary procedure steps every employer must follow.
Right to Be Accompanied
Your legal right to have someone with you at disciplinary hearings.
Right of Appeal
Why employers must offer an appeal against a dismissal decision.
Grievance Before Resigning
Why you should usually raise a grievance before leaving.
Claiming an ACAS Uplift
When you can ask the employment tribunal to increase your compensation by up to 25%.
Workplace Bullying: Examples, Evidence and What to Do
Recognise bullying at work, preserve useful evidence and decide whether to raise the problem informally or through a formal grievance.
Performance Improvement Plan UK: Employee Rights
Understand what a performance improvement plan means, what a fair capability process may involve and how to respond with evidence.
Suspended From Work: Rights During an Investigation
Understand pay, communication, duration, confidentiality and preparation while suspended pending a workplace investigation.
Victimisation at Work: Protected Acts and Evidence
Understand when retaliation for a discrimination complaint can amount to victimisation and what evidence may establish the connection.
Reasonable Adjustments at Work: Requests and Evidence
Understand the duty to make reasonable adjustments, how to make a useful request and what to record if support is delayed or refused.
Acas Code of Practice: Discipline and Grievance Guide
Understand when the Acas disciplinary and grievance Code applies, the minimum fairness principles and how non-compliance can affect compensation.