Grievance: meaning, examples and what it means to file one

“I'm going to put in a grievance.” Few sentences change the mood of a workplace so quickly. Managers hear a threat. Employees often mean something simpler: I have a problem, nobody has dealt with it, and I want a proper answer.

This article explains the meaning of grievance, in everyday English and at work. It gives examples, explains what it means to file or raise a grievance, sets out the five steps of a formal procedure in Great Britain and the typical union procedure in the United States, and shows managers how to respond well.

Many grievances begin as a concern that nobody heard. See how New Dynamics continuous feedback gives people a regular, low-key way to raise things early.

What does grievance mean?

The word has three related meanings, depending on the setting.

In everyday English. The Cambridge Dictionary defines a grievance as “a complaint or a strong feeling that you have been treated unfairly”. You can hold a grievance against a neighbour, a shop or a government.

At work. The Acas Code of Practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures, which applies in Great Britain, gives the standard definition: “Grievances are concerns, problems or complaints that employees raise with their employers.” Acas describes a grievance procedure as “a formal way for an employee to raise a problem or complaint to their employer”.

Under a union contract. The open textbook Introduction to Business, published by OpenStax, describes the American usage in its section on managing grievances and conflicts: “A grievance is a formal complaint by an employee or the union that management has violated some part of the contract.”

The plural, grievances, simply means more than one such complaint. All three meanings share an idea: someone believes that they have been treated unfairly, and they want it put right.

Examples of workplace grievances

Acas's definition is wide, so almost any problem at work can become a grievance. Typical subjects include:

• pay and conditions, such as unpaid overtime, a missed pay rise or a change to hours;
• workload, such as an impossible rota or duties far beyond the job description;
• how a policy was applied, such as a refused holiday request or an unfair appraisal rating;
• health and safety, such as broken equipment or a lack of training;
• relationships, such as a manager who shouts, or colleagues who exclude someone;
• bullying, harassment and discrimination. Acas names sexual harassment as an example of a “very serious issue” that an employee may choose to raise formally from the start.

OpenStax gives a union example: an employee “is disciplined with a one-day suspension (and loss of pay) for being late for work several times in one month”, and challenges the decision.

What does it mean to file a grievance?

To file a grievance means to make the complaint formally, so that a set procedure begins. In Britain people usually say “raise a grievance”. In the United States “file a grievance” is more common, and often refers to the procedure in a union contract. The idea is the same.

Three things change when a concern becomes a formal grievance.

1. It is in writing. GOV.UK says that a worker who is not satisfied after trying informally “can make a formal grievance complaint in writing”.
2. A procedure starts. There will be a meeting, a decision and a chance to appeal.
3. There is a record. Both sides can later show what was said and done.

Filing a grievance is not the same as resigning, suing or “going to war”. It is a request for a fair hearing inside the organisation.

Try the informal route first

Acas is clear on this point. Its guidance on how to raise a problem at work says: “It's usually best to try raising it informally first.” Doing so can often “resolve it more quickly” and “help maintain positive relationships at work”.

Acas says that you can raise the problem formally if you cannot resolve it through informal steps, or if you feel that it is too serious to raise informally.

For the conversation itself, see our difficult conversations examples. A genuine open door policy makes the informal route easier to use.

The formal grievance procedure in five steps

The Acas Code sets out what it calls the keys to handling grievances in the workplace. They form five steps.

1. Let the employer know. The employee should raise the matter formally “and without unreasonable delay with a manager who is not the subject of the grievance”. It should be in writing, and should set out the nature of the grievance.
2. Hold a meeting. The employer should arrange a formal meeting without unreasonable delay. The Code says: “Employees should be allowed to explain their grievance and how they think it should be resolved.” The meeting may be adjourned for an investigation.
3. Allow a companion. Workers have a statutory right to be accompanied at a grievance meeting which deals with a complaint about a duty owed by the employer to the worker. The companion can be a fellow worker, a trade union representative or an official employed by a trade union.
4. Decide, and say so in writing. The decision should be communicated in writing, without unreasonable delay, with any action the employer intends to take. The employee should be told that they can appeal.
5. Hear any appeal. The appeal should be dealt with impartially and, wherever possible, “by a manager who has not previously been involved in the case”.

GOV.UK's guide for employers on handling an employee's grievance adds that businesses “must have a written grievance procedure in place and share it with all employees”.

Why following the Code matters

The Code says that a failure to follow it “does not, in itself, make a person or organisation liable to proceedings”. Employment tribunals do take it into account, however. The Code explains that tribunals can adjust awards “by up to 25 per cent for unreasonable failure to comply with any provision of the Code”. That applies in both directions: an award can go up if the employer unreasonably failed to follow the Code, and down if the employee did.

This is general information about Great Britain, not legal advice. Northern Ireland and other countries have their own rules.

Grievances under a union contract

In unionised workplaces in the United States, the grievance procedure is part of the collective agreement. OpenStax calls it the union's “main way of policing the contract”, and describes a typical sequence.

1. The employee presents the grievance to the supervisor, in person or in writing.
2. If that does not solve the problem, the grievance is put in writing and discussed by the employee, union officials and managers.
3. If it is still unresolved, higher-level representatives of both sides meet.
4. If they cannot agree, it goes to arbitration, where a third party makes a decision that is “final and binding on the union and employer”.

The details come from each contract, so anyone in this position should read their own agreement and speak to their union representative. Our guide to union meaning explains the terms.

Grievance and disciplinary: the difference

The two procedures are often mentioned together, and the Acas Code covers both. They run in opposite directions.

How managers should respond to a concern

Acas's guidance for employers on dealing with a problem raised by a worker says that even an informal problem should be taken seriously: “If you do not, the problem might be raised as a formal grievance later.” Five habits help.

1. Listen first. Let the person explain the problem and what they would like done about it. Acas calls solving the problem “a two-way process”.
2. Thank them. Raising a concern takes nerve. How you react decides whether anyone raises the next one.
3. Keep it confidential. Tell only the people who need to know.
4. Act quickly. Agree what you will do and by when. Delay turns a concern into a grievance.
5. Follow up. Check a few weeks later that the fix has held, and keep a short record.

When you receive a formal grievance, do not take it as a personal attack. Follow the written procedure step by step, ask someone impartial to hear it if it concerns you, and never treat the person worse for having raised it.

How to raise a grievance well

If you are the one with the problem:

• check your employer's grievance procedure, which should be in the staff handbook;
• write down what happened, with dates, and what you have already tried;
• say what outcome you want;
• send it to the person named in the procedure, or to a manager who is not the subject of it;
• ask a colleague or union representative to come to the meeting;
• stay factual. “On 3 March my shift was changed with one day's notice” is stronger than “the rota is a shambles”.

Frequently asked questions

What is the definition of a grievance?

In everyday English, a grievance is a complaint or a strong feeling that you have been treated unfairly. At work, Acas defines grievances as concerns, problems or complaints that employees raise with their employers.

What does it mean to file a grievance?

It means making your complaint formally, usually in writing, so that a set procedure begins. Your employer should hold a meeting with you, give you a written decision and allow you to appeal. In Britain the usual phrase is “raise a grievance”.

What are examples of grievances at work?

Common examples concern pay, working hours, workload, how a policy was applied, health and safety, the behaviour of a manager or colleague, and bullying, harassment or discrimination. In a unionised workplace, a grievance usually claims that management has broken the contract.

Should I raise a grievance informally first?

Usually, yes. Acas says that it is usually best to try raising a problem informally first, because that can resolve it more quickly and help to maintain working relationships. Raise it formally if that fails, or if the matter is too serious.

Can I bring someone to a grievance meeting?

In Great Britain, the Acas Code says that workers have a statutory right to be accompanied at a grievance meeting about a duty owed by the employer. The companion can be a fellow worker, a trade union representative or a trade union official.

What is the difference between a grievance and a disciplinary?

An employee starts a grievance, to raise their own concern or complaint. An employer starts a disciplinary procedure, because of a concern about the employee's conduct or performance. The Acas Code covers both, and both include a meeting and an appeal.

Your next step: find your grievance procedure

1. Find your organisation's written grievance procedure. If you cannot find it within five minutes, neither can your staff.
2. Check it against the five steps above.
3. Ask managers when they last heard a concern informally, and what happened next.
4. Make sure that every employee knows whom to speak to first.

For help with putting policies like this into a clear staff handbook, read and download our employee handbook guide. The guide is free to read, and the PDF uses our short download form.

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