Grievance Policy

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Introduction

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The object of this grievance policy is to enable employees who consider that they have a grievance or complaint arising from their employment to have it dealt with at the appropriate level within as short a time as possible.

 

This policy applies to all employees. It does not apply to agency workers, consultants or self-employed contractors.

 

This policy will be reviewed from time to time to ensure that it reflects our legal obligations and our business needs.

 

This policy does not form part of any employee’s contract of employment and we may amend it at any time.

 

Principles

 

This procedure deals with all kinds of grievance or complaint except where harassment is involved when the separate Bullying and Harassment Policy should be used.

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If you have a grievance or complaint you should first raise it informally with your line manager. Many grievances can be resolved informally in this way and such informal steps are not part of the formal grievance procedure. When the matter is very serious, or in other exceptional circumstances where there are good reasons for not raising the matter informally, you may proceed straight to the formal stage of the procedure.

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The fact that you may have invoked the grievance procedure will not (in the absence of exceptional circumstances) preclude us from instituting, continuing with or concluding disciplinary or poor performance proceedings.

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We are committed to resolving each stage of the procedure as quickly as reasonably possible, taking into account the need to investigate any grievance fairly and thoroughly and any constraints imposed by staff availability.

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Procedure

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In order to start the procedure you will need to prepare a written statement setting out the nature of your grievance or complaint. The written statement should be forwarded to your line manager. If the grievance is against your line manager, you can raise the grievance with the next level of management or through Fennar Ralston (fennar@fennarralston.com) who will allocate an appropriate person to deal with it.

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The person dealing with the grievance will make all necessary investigations and will arrange a meeting with you to discuss the grievance. When a decision has been reached you will be notified in writing of the outcome and informed of the right of appeal.

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You are entitled to be accompanied to a grievance hearing by a fellow employee or by a trade union representative of your choice. The companion may address the hearing to put your case and confer with you during the hearing. Your companion does not, however, have the right to answer questions on your behalf, address the hearing if you do not wish it or prevent us from explaining our case.

  

If your choice of companion is not available to attend at the time proposed for the grievance hearing in question, you may propose an alternative time for the hearing to take place. The proposed alternative time must be reasonable and must be within five working days of the initial date of the hearing.

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Employees chosen to accompany a fellow employee to a grievance hearing will be permitted to take paid time off during working hours to attend that hearing.

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Appeals

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If you are dissatisfied with the decision you may appeal by writing to Fennar Ralston (fennar@fennarralston.com) within five working days of being informed of the decision.

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We will appoint someone to hear any appeal who, as far as possible, will be someone who has had no involvement in the earlier stages of the grievance and is at a more senior level of management. The person dealing with the appeal will undertake any further investigations he or she thinks necessary and will arrange a meeting with you to discuss the appeal.

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You will be informed of the outcome of the appeal in writing. The decision so reached will be final and there is no further right of appeal.

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