Grievance Procedures, Guidance and Legal Framework Templates
This selection of templates contains the core grievance procedure, guidance notes and legal framework documents employers need before using individual grievance letters and forms. The templates help employers understand how to set up, explain and apply a fair workplace grievance process, including informal resolution, formal grievance meetings, investigation, confidentiality, record keeping, grievance outcomes and appeals.
Legal Compliance
These templates have been drafted and maintained up-to-date by experienced employment solicitors and HR professionals, and have been/are applied successfully and consistently by thousands of employers and HR consultants.
The templates include the following:
Grievance Procedures
This Grievance Procedure template helps employers set out a clear internal process for dealing with employee complaints, concerns and workplace problems fairly, consistently and without unreasonable delay. It covers informal resolution, formal written grievances, grievance meetings, investigation, outcomes, confidentiality, special cases and appeals.
The ACAS Code of Practice
The ACAS Code of Practice on Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures is an essential reference document for employers, employees and representatives dealing with workplace grievances and disciplinary issues. It sets out the main principles of fairness, transparency, prompt handling, investigation, meetings, accompaniment, written decisions and appeal rights.
Grievance Procedures Guidance Notes
These Grievance Procedures Guidance Notes help employers use the grievance procedure and related template letters in a practical, step-by-step way. They explain how to move from informal resolution to a formal written grievance, grievance meeting, written outcome and appeal, while helping employers identify the correct document to use at each stage.
Conducting Grievance Meetings Guidance Notes
These Conducting Grievance Meeting Guidance Notes help employers prepare for and conduct formal grievance meetings fairly and consistently. They explain what should happen before, during and after a grievance meeting, including reviewing the grievance procedure, considering relevant documents and background information, arranging note-taking, allowing a companion, making reasonable adjustments, exploring possible solutions and confirming the decision in writing.
Conducting Appeal Meetings Guidance Notes
These Conducting Appeal Meetings Guidance Notes help employers conduct grievance and disciplinary appeal meetings fairly, impartially and reasonably. For grievance appeals, they should be used alongside the Grievance Policy and Procedure and the Guidance Notes: Grievance Procedure.
Together, these documents provide a clear starting point for employers managing employee grievances in England and Wales and support a structured, fair and consistent approach to workplace complaints. They explain, and enable the setting up and the continuity of the grievance process before the relevant letters for Raising, Receiving and Assessing Grievance, Investigation and Formal Grievance Meeting and Grievance Appeals are used.
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Frequently Asked Questions
I need to set up a grievance process for my business. Where do I start? +
Start by creating a written grievance procedure setting out your internal process for handling employee complaints fairly and without unreasonable delay. The Grievance Procedures Template provides this, and the Guidance Notes: Grievance Procedures walk you through it step by step, helping you identify the right document at each stage. Read these alongside the Acas Code of Practice document before moving to the letter templates in the sibling sub-folders.
Does my business legally have to have a written grievance procedure in England and Wales? +
Yes, employers in England and Wales must give employees a written grievance procedure setting out who to contact, how to raise a complaint and what happens at each stage. No single statute prescribes every detail, but employment tribunals expect it to reflect the Acas Code of Practice on Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures. Where the procedure is part of an employment contract, the employer must follow it or risk a breach of contract claim. The Grievance Procedures Template in this sub-folder provides a legally reviewed starting point.
What is the Acas Code of Practice and why does it matter for handling a grievance? +
The Acas Code of Practice on Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures sets minimum standards of fair behaviour for employers and employees when a grievance arises. It is not legally binding, but tribunals must take it into account: under section 207A of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992, unreasonable failure by an employer to follow it can increase compensation by up to 25 per cent, while an employee who unreasonably ignores it can have their award reduced by the same amount. The Acas Code of Practice document in this sub-folder reproduces the full Code for reference.
An employee has raised a formal grievance. Do I have to let them bring someone to the meeting? +
Yes, where the grievance is about the employer breaching a legal or contractual duty owed to the worker and the worker makes a reasonable request. Under section 10 of the Employment Relations Act 1999 they have a statutory right to be accompanied at a formal grievance hearing by a colleague or trade union representative. If the grievance falls outside that, for example a pay-rise request with no contractual right, the statutory right is not triggered, although allowing accompaniment is then good practice. The companion can present and summarise the worker's case and respond to views expressed, but cannot answer questions on the worker's behalf. Refusing a reasonable request may lead to a tribunal claim. The Guidance Notes on Conducting Grievance Meetings in this sub-folder explain how to handle accompaniment, note-taking and other procedural requirements.
My employee is unhappy with my decision on their grievance. What documents do I need for a grievance appeal? +
You need a fair appeal hearing conducted by someone not previously involved in the case wherever possible and without unreasonable delay, as the Acas Code of Practice requires, followed by a written outcome. The Guidance Notes on Conducting Appeal Meetings help you prepare and run it impartially, used alongside the Grievance Procedures Template and the Guidance Notes: Grievance Procedures. For the letter stage, use the Grievance Appeals Letter Templates sub-folder.
Can I try to resolve a grievance informally before going through a formal procedure? +
Yes, and the Acas Code of Practice actively encourages it, since many workplace complaints can be resolved through a quiet conversation before a formal grievance is raised. The Grievance Procedures Template and Guidance Notes in this sub-folder cover informal resolution as the first stage, then walk you through moving to a formal written grievance, grievance meeting and written outcome if it fails. Keep a written record at every stage, including informal attempts, as good practice that may matter if the case later reaches a tribunal.
