exitagreementRaising a grievance at work
A grievance is the formal way to put a problem at work to your employer. It is also the step that most often comes just before a settlement offer, and the one whose absence can cost you a quarter of a later tribunal award. The procedure is set by the Acas Code of Practice, and a few parts of it are backed by statute.
The grievance procedure, step by step
The Code sets out five stages. Your employer’s own procedure may add detail, but should not fall below this.
| Stage | What should happen | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Write it down | In writing, to a manager who is not the subject of it | Code para.32 |
| 2. The meeting | Held without unreasonable delay; you explain it and how it should be resolved | Code paras.33–34 |
| 3. A companion | Fellow worker or union representative, where it concerns a duty owed to you | ERelA 1999 s.10; Code para.35 |
| 4. The outcome | In writing, without unreasonable delay, with the action to be taken | Code para.40 |
| 5. Appeal | Grounds in writing; heard by someone not previously involved where possible | Code paras.41–43 |
Acas Code of Practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures; Employment Relations Act 1999. Read 4 October 2026.
Key points
- Put it in writing to a manager who is not the subject of it.
- No fixed response deadline: the Code says “without unreasonable delay”.
- You can bring a companion where it concerns a duty your employer owes you.
- Skipping the grievance can cost up to 25% of a later award.
- A grievance does not stop the tribunal clock.
Raising the grievance
If it is not possible to resolve a grievance informally employees should raise the matter formally and without unreasonable delay with a manager who is not the subject of the grievance. This should be done in writing and should set out the nature of the grievance.Read the section on legislation.gov.uk
What to put in the letter
Acas suggests the letter or email should cover what the grievance is about, any evidence (a payslip, your contract), and what you want your employer to do about it. It also suggests being specific and realistic: asking to be paid correctly and on time in future is something an employer can do; asking for a colleague to be dismissed usually is not.
Who to send it to
Your employer’s grievance policy should say. If there is none, Acas suggests your line manager, or another manager or HR if the problem involves your line manager.
The meeting
Employers should arrange for a formal meeting to be held without unreasonable delay after a grievance is received. Employers, employees and their companions should make every effort to attend the meeting. Employees should be allowed to explain their grievance and how they think it should be resolved. Consideration should be given to adjourning the meeting for any investigation that may be necessary.Read the section on legislation.gov.uk
Your companion
Workers have a statutory right to be accompanied by a companion at a grievance meeting which deals with a complaint about a duty owed by the employer to the worker. So this would apply where the complaint is, for example, that the employer is not honouring the worker’s contract, or is in breach of legislation.Read the section on legislation.gov.uk
If a worker’s chosen companion will not be available at the time proposed for the hearing by the employer, the employer must postpone the hearing to a time proposed by the worker provided that the alternative time is both reasonable and not more than five working days after the date originally proposed.Read the section on legislation.gov.uk
The companion can put and sum up your case and confer with you, but not answer questions for you. The same right applies to the appeal hearing.
Raised a grievance, and now there is talk of an exit?
Send your postcode and what has happened so far. Firms advertising for your area can look at where the grievance leaves you before you respond to an offer.
The grievance outcome
Following the meeting decide on what action, if any, to take. Decisions should be communicated to the employee, in writing, without unreasonable delay and, where appropriate, should set out what action the employer intends to take to resolve the grievance. The employee should be informed that they can appeal if they are not content with the action taken.Read the section on legislation.gov.uk
There is no statutory deadline for the outcome, but a long silence is itself a point you can raise in writing. Acas says that where a grievance about other people is upheld, the employer might need to start a disciplinary procedure, and that the outcome should be given in writing as soon as possible.
Appealing
Where an employee feels that their grievance has not been satisfactorily resolved they should appeal. They should let their employer know the grounds for their appeal without unreasonable delay and in writing. Appeals should be heard without unreasonable delay and at a time and place which should be notified to the employee in advance. The appeal should be dealt with impartially and wherever possible by a manager who has not previously been involved in the case.Read the section on legislation.gov.uk
Why it matters if the job ends
The grievance procedure is in a Code of Practice that counts for the purposes of section 207A of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992.
(3) If, in the case of proceedings to which this section applies, it appears to the employment tribunal that— (a) the claim to which the proceedings relate concerns a matter to which a relevant Code of Practice applies, (b) the employee has failed to comply with that Code in relation to that matter, and (c) that failure was unreasonable, the employment tribunal may, if it considers it just and equitable in all the circumstances to do so, reduce any award it makes to the employee by no more than 25%. (4) In subsections (2) and (3), “relevant Code of Practice” means a Code of Practice issued under this Chapter which relates exclusively or primarily to procedure for the resolution of disputes.Read the section on legislation.gov.uk
The same section lets a tribunal increase an award by up to 25% where the employer unreasonably failed to follow the Code — by not holding a meeting, for example, or not offering an appeal. A written grievance with a record of how it was handled therefore moves the value of a claim, and so the value of a settlement, in your favour either way. How that works in a constructive dismissal claim.
Grievances and disciplinary action together
The Code says that where an employee raises a grievance during a disciplinary process, the disciplinary process may be temporarily suspended to deal with it, and that related cases may be dealt with together. Facing a disciplinary.
The time limit keeps running
A grievance does not pause the tribunal time limit; only Acas early conciliation does. Since 1 October 2026 most limits are six months, but do not let an internal process run you out of time. How the limit is counted.
When a grievance leads to an offer
If a grievance is followed by a settlement proposal, the conversation that follows may be protected, but not for every kind of claim. What a protected conversation covers · negotiating the offer.
Common questions
How do I raise a formal grievance?
In writing, to a manager who is not the subject of the grievance, setting out what it is about (Acas Code para.32). Acas suggests including any evidence and what you want your employer to do about it.
How long does my employer have to respond to a grievance?
The Code does not set a number of days. It says the meeting should be held, and the decision communicated, without unreasonable delay. Check your employer's own procedure, which may set times.
Can I bring someone to a grievance meeting?
Yes, where the grievance concerns a duty your employer owes you, such as your contract or a legal obligation. The companion can be a fellow worker or a trade union representative or official. If they cannot make the time, the meeting must be moved to a reasonable time you propose within five working days.
What if I disagree with the grievance outcome?
Appeal. The Code says you should set out your grounds in writing without unreasonable delay, and the appeal should be heard impartially, wherever possible by a manager not previously involved.
Does not raising a grievance affect a tribunal claim?
It can. Under section 207A of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 a tribunal can reduce an award by up to 25% where an employee unreasonably failed to follow the Code. It can increase it by the same amount where the employer did.
Can I raise a grievance during a disciplinary process?
Yes. The Code says the disciplinary process may be temporarily suspended to deal with the grievance, and where the two are related it may be appropriate to deal with them together.
Does a grievance stop the tribunal time limit?
No. Only Acas early conciliation pauses it. Raise the grievance, but keep an eye on the date.
Sources cited on this page
- Acas Code of Practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures
- Acas — Formal grievance procedure, step 2: raising a grievance
- Employment Relations Act 1999, s.10 — right to be accompanied
- Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992, s.207A
- Employment Rights Act 1996, s.207B — early conciliation and time limits
Every figure above was read from the source it is attributed to on 19 September 2026. How we check this.
Get your agreement checked
Six quick questions. Your details are the last step, never the first.
Your enquiry is ready to send
Here is what happens after you submit:
- Your answers go to solicitors’ firms that advertise for your area.
- No more than three of them may contact you, using the details you gave.
- You decide who, if anyone, you speak to. You are committed to nothing.
We are not a law firm. Sending this does not create a solicitor–client relationship.