If you need to make a formal complaint at work

Often the best way to fix a problem at work is to raise it informally. But what should you do if your line manager doesn’t listen? Maybe you don’t have the right equipment to do your job, or an employment policy feels unfair. Perhaps you’re being bullied because of a disability or discriminated against because of what you believe. If your employer doesn’t take action, or if the issue is serious, it could be time to raise a grievance.

Raising a grievance makes your employer listen

A grievance is a formal complaint that your employer must respond to. It has to be investigated fairly, and everyone should be given a chance to have their say. If your grievance isn’t handled in the right way, or if you disagree with your employer’s decision, you should be given the opportunity to appeal the outcome. You can’t go to an employment tribunal just because you don’t like the outcome of your grievance. However, if you successfully pursue a claim in the tribunal and your employer failed to deal with your grievance correctly, you could be awarded more money.

How we can help

We can discuss your situation, and help you understand how to go about raising a grievance. When you put pen to paper, we can help you plan what to say so that you make a convincing argument. And if you’ve already raised a grievance we’ll guide you on the process, and check your employer is handling it correctly. We’ll:

• talk to you about what’s happened
• guide you on writing a grievance
• advise you on your options and the time limits to bring any claim