The complete guide to raising a grievance at work

A problem at work has reached the point where writing it down feels like the only option left.

That is not an easy place to be. You might be worried about making things worse. You might not be sure your concern is serious enough to count. You might just want it to stop.

This guide takes you through the whole grievance procedureThe formal process your employer must have in place for you to raise a complaint about your treatment at work. It should set out the steps involved, including who to write to, timescales for a respons..., from the first decision right through to an appeal. It covers what a grievanceA formal complaint raised by an employee against their employer, triggering a legal obligation to investigate and respond. actually is, whether raising one is the right move, what your employer is required to do at every stage, and includes a grievance letter template you can adapt and use straightaway. Plain English. No solicitors needed to follow it.

We are on your side. That shapes everything below.

What a grievance actually is

Raising a grievance means putting a formal complaint about what happened at work in front of your employer.

It is a way of putting in writing: this is wrong and I want it dealt with properly. Once it is formal, your employer has to follow a proper grievance procedure to look into it. They cannot simply ignore it.

Grievances usually cover things like:

• BullyingRepeated, unreasonable behaviour towards you at work that undermines you or damages your dignity, such as persistent criticism, exclusion, humiliation, or intimidation. Bullying on its own is not auto..., harassmentUnwanted behaviour related to a protected characteristic, such as your sex, race, disability, age or religion, that violates your dignity or creates an intimidating, hostile or humiliating environment..., or the way you have been treated
• Discrimination because of who you are
• Problems with your pay, hours, or contract
• Health and safety concerns
• The way a manager has handled something
• Being singled out or treated unfairly compared to others

A grievance is not the same as a disciplinary. A disciplinary is when your employer raises a concern about you. A grievance is when you raise a concern with them. They run in opposite directions, even though the process can feel similar from the inside.

It is also not the same as an informal complaint. You can raise something informally first, and often that is the right place to start. A grievance is what you reach for when informal routes have not worked, or when the issue is too serious for a quiet word.

The ACAS Code of PracticeOfficial guidance issued by ACAS on how disciplinary and grievance procedures should be run. It is not law, but tribunals take it into account, and a failure to follow it can result in any award being... on Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures sets the standard every employer’s own grievance procedure should meet. That Code is not a set of legal rules exactly, but tribunals take it seriously, and so should your employer.

Should you raise one?

Sometimes yes, sometimes there is a better first step, and here’s how to tell the difference.

Try informal resolution first, if you safely can. Many workplace problems can be sorted with a direct conversation, either with the person involved or with your manager. It is quicker, it is less stressful, and it keeps the relationship intact. If you have not tried this yet and the situation allows for it, start there.

Raise a formal grievance when:

• You have already tried informally and nothing changed
• The issue is too serious for an informal chat, such as harassment, discrimination, or bullying
• The person causing the problem is your manager, and going to them is not an option
• You need a written record of having raised it, in case things escalate later

A word on doing nothing. You are allowed to decide it is not worth it. That is a real choice and sometimes the right one. A grievance creates a record, though, and that record matters if things end up going further, including to a tribunal. Staying quiet to keep the peace can cost you the evidence you would need if the peace does not hold.

You do not have to decide today. But it helps to understand what you are weighing up.

Before you write anything

The strength of your grievance comes from preparation, not from how angry you are when you write it. Do this part properly and the rest is much easier.

Build a timeline. Write down what happened, in order, with dates. Be specific. “In March things got difficult” is weak. “On 12 March, in the team meeting, my manager said X in front of five colleagues” is strong. Dates and detail are what make a complaint credible.

Do not leave out the smaller things because they feel too minor to matter on their own. Courts have been clear that a pattern of individually small incidents can add up to something serious, even where no single one would count by itself. Write them all down as they happen.

Gather your evidence. Emails, messages, rotas, payslips, notes you made at the time all help. Save copies somewhere that is not your work account, in case your access is ever cut off.

Note your witnesses. If anyone saw or heard what happened, write down who they are and what they witnessed. You do not need their permission to name them in your grievance, but it helps to know who might support your account.

Find the relevant policy. A grievance procedure usually lives in the staff handbook or on the company intranet. Read it. It tells you who to send your grievance to and what timescales apply. If you cannot find it, you are still entitled to raise a grievance, and the ACASThe Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service. A public body that provides free, impartial guidance on workplace rights and disputes, and runs the mandatory early conciliation process before any ... grievance procedure sets the baseline standard your employer should follow regardless. It matters beyond the procedure itself: if a tribunal claim follows and either side unreasonably failed to follow the Code, that can move any compensation award up or down by as much as 25%.

Writing your grievance letter

Your grievance letter is the document that starts the formal process. It does not need to be long or clever. It needs to be clear, and it helps to work from a template rather than a blank page.

The letter, piece by piece

Here is the actual shape a grievance letter should take. Use it as a skeleton and drop your own facts in.

• 1. Sender, recipient, and date. Start with your name, your role, the date, and name who you are sending it to (your manager, or HR if the complaint involves your manager).
• 2. Subject line. Something plain and unambiguous: “Formal grievance” or “Formal grievance — [brief description].” Say the word “grievance” so there is no doubt about what you are raising.
• 3. Opening statement. One sentence stating that this is a formal grievance raised under the company’s grievance procedure.
• 4. The factual account. What happened, set out in order, using your timeline. Dates, names, specific incidents. The factual account matters most, so give it the most space.
• 5. What you want to happen. Say plainly what outcome you are asking for: an investigation, a change to reporting lines, a mediated conversation, whatever fits your situation. Employers respond better to a grievance that names a resolution than one that only names a problem.
• 6. Closing and signature. A short closing line offering to provide further detail at a meeting, then your name.

Leave out: insults, sarcasm, speculation about motives you cannot prove, and every minor complaint you have ever had. A focused letter about the three things that matter lands harder than a sprawling one about fifteen.

Keep your tone factual and measured throughout. This is not because your feelings do not count. A calm, specific letter is harder to dismiss than an emotional one, and this document may be read by people far above the person you are complaining about.

A worked example

Here’s the template filled in for a management-conduct grievance:

Dear [Manager/HR name],

I am writing to raise a formal grievance under the company’s grievance procedure.

Since [date], I have experienced [what happened, e.g. “repeated public criticism of my work in team meetings, most recently on 14 July, in front of five colleagues”]. This has happened on at least [number] occasions. I raised this informally with [name] on [date], but the behaviour has continued.

This has affected my ability to do my job and has caused me significant stress.

I would like the company to investigate this matter formally, and I would welcome a discussion about how this can be resolved, including [what you want, e.g. “a mediated conversation” or “a change to reporting lines”].

I am happy to provide further detail or supporting evidence at a meeting.

Yours sincerely,
[Your name]

Notice what this does. It names the process, sticks to facts and dates rather than character judgements, and ends by stating what resolution would look like. It doesn’t just vent.

If your grievance is about something specific

The template above holds for almost any grievance, but a couple of situations are worth a specific note:

• Unfair treatment. If you’re raising a grievance about being treated worse than colleagues, or singled out, name the comparison directly: who you were treated differently from, and how. Our guide to unfair treatment at work covers what actually counts as unlawful and what’s just unfair but not illegal, which affects how you frame the letter.
• Bullying and harassment. If your grievance concerns bullying or harassment, describe the pattern, not just the worst incident. A single bad meeting is easy to dismiss as a one-off; a documented pattern across weeks or months is not. Our guide on bullying at work explains the legal distinction between the two and what it means for your case.

If you’d rather not start from a blank page, our grievance letter builder walks you through this step by step and puts your own facts into a properly structured letter using the template above.

Submitting your grievance

Send your grievance to the person named in your employer’s grievance procedure. That is usually your line manager or someone in HR.

If your grievance is about the person you would normally send it to, send it to the next person up, or to HR directly. You should never have to hand your complaint to the person it concerns. If the procedure does not make clear who to go to, HR is a safe default.

Send it in a way that creates a record. Email is ideal, because it timestamps itself. If you hand over a paper copy, keep your own copy and note the date you gave it in.

What should happen next: your employer should acknowledge your grievance and arrange to meet with you. There is no single legal deadline, but a properly run acas grievance procedure means this happens without unreasonable delay. Weeks of silence is itself a failure on their part, and worth noting.

The investigation

Before your employer can decide anything, they need to look into what you have raised. That is the investigation.

What a proper investigation looks like:

• Someone gathers the facts: your account, the other side’s account, and any evidence
• Witnesses you named may be spoken to
• The investigation is carried out by someone reasonably impartial, not the person your grievance is about

This might mean attending a meeting yourself as part of the process. You’re entitled to updates on progress as the investigation moves along.

A common failure here is the investigation that goes quiet. You raise something serious, and then nothing. When that happens, you’re entitled to ask, in writing, for an update and a timescale. Keep that request. A pattern of delay can matter a great deal later.

The grievance hearing

The hearing is the meeting where your employer hears your grievance properly and gives you the chance to explain it in your own words.

You have the right to be accompanied. This is a legal right, not a favour. You can bring a colleague or a trade union representative to the hearing. They can take notes, talk things through with you during the meeting, and put your case, though they cannot answer questions on your behalf. Use this right. Going in alone is harder, and you do not have to.

If you’re disabled and something about the hearing itself needs to change for you to take part properly, extra breaks, more time, a written summary, you can ask for that too. Our guide on requesting reasonable adjustments during a grievance or disciplinary process covers what to ask for and how.

How to prepare:

• Re-read your grievance letter so your account is fresh
• Bring your timeline and your evidence
• Decide in advance the handful of points you most need to land
• Think about what outcome you are asking for

On the day: stay with the facts. Refer to your timeline. Follow up afterwards if you’re asked something you’re not sure of, rather than guessing in the moment. Ask for a copy of the notes taken, and check they reflect what was actually said. If they don’t, our guide on what to do if your employer’s meeting notes are inaccurate sets out how to challenge it.

The outcome

The hearing over, you’re owed a written decision from your employer, with the reasons behind it. They should also tell you how to appeal.

A reasonable outcome is one that genuinely engages with what you raised. That might mean upholding your grievance in full, upholding part of it, or not upholding it but explaining clearly and honestly why.

What is not acceptable:

• A decision with no real reasons, just a flat “not upheld”
• An outcome that ignores parts of your complaint
• A response that took so long it is obvious nobody looked at it properly

If the outcome deals with your concern fairly, even if it is not everything you hoped for, that may be the end of it. If it does not, you can appeal.

Your grievance outcome letter

The outcome letter is worth understanding on its own, because it is where a lot of employees get caught out simply not knowing what “good” looks like.

What it should contain: the decision on each point you raised, not just the overall complaint, the reasons behind that decision, and the process for appealing, including the timescale. A letter that only addresses your headline complaint and ignores the specific points inside it has not actually engaged with your grievance.

How long it typically takes to arrive: there’s no fixed legal deadline, but it should follow the hearing within a reasonable time, often one to two weeks for straightforward cases and longer where the investigation was more complex. If it drags on well beyond that with no explanation, that delay is itself worth noting for any later appeal or claim.

What “no action” actually looks like versus upheld or partially upheld: a grievance that is upheld means your employer agrees, wholly or in part, that what you raised happened and was wrong, and it should come with a stated remedy: an apology, a change of process, a sanction against someone else, something concrete. Partially upheld means some of your points were accepted and others weren’t, and the letter should say which is which. Not upheld, done properly, still explains its reasoning point by point. Not upheld with no reasoning at all is not a proper outcome, and is itself grounds for appeal.

The appeal

An outcome that does not sit right can be appealed, and that is your right. Check the timescale set out in your outcome letter and do not let it slip. It is often around five working days.

Appeal when:

• The decision got the facts wrong
• Parts of your grievance were not properly considered
• The process itself was unfair, for example you were not allowed to be accompanied, or the investigation was not impartial
• New evidence has come to light

Set out your grounds clearly: what you are appealing and why. The appeal should ideally be heard by someone more senior, and someone not involved in the original decision. You have the same right to be accompanied at the appeal hearing as you did at the first one.

The appeal is your last formal step inside the company. After this, if you are still not satisfied, the next options are external.

If nothing works: what comes next

Sometimes the internal process runs its course and you are still left with an unresolved wrong. You have options beyond your employer.

ACAS early conciliationA free process run by ACAS that you must go through before you can submit a claim to an employment tribunal. ACAS contacts your employer to see if a settlement can be reached, and the process pauses y.... Before you can bring most claims to an employment tribunalAn independent court that hears disputes between employees and employers. It is free to bring a claim as a claimant, and most hearings take place in public., you have to notify ACAS, who offer a free conciliation service to try to settle the matter without a hearing. This is a required step, and there are strict time limits, currently three monthsThe standard time limit for bringing most employment tribunal claims, running from the date of the act complained of. Because the limit is three months less one day, you should not wait until what fee... less one day if the event happened before 1 October 2026, and six months if it happened on or after that date, so check which applies to your situation before doing anything else. Do not let that clock run down while you wait for an internal process to finish.

Employment tribunal. If conciliation does not resolve it, you may be able to bring a claim. Tribunals handle things like unfair dismissalA legal claim you can bring if your employer dismissed you without a fair reason or without following a fair process. You normally need two years of continuous employment to qualify, though some dismi..., discrimination, and unlawful deductions from wages. This is a bigger step, and the time limits are tight, so it is worth getting advice before you commit.

Getting advice. Talking to someone who can look at your specific situation makes sense once you’ve reached this stage. We offer a fixed-price call where we can talk through where you stand and what your realistic options are.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a time limitThe deadline by which you must submit a claim to an employment tribunal. For most claims the limit is three months less one day from the act you are complaining about, and it is strictly enforced. Mis... to raise a grievance? There’s no fixed legal deadline for raising the grievance itself, but the clock that matters is the one for any tribunal claim that might follow, and that runs from the event, not from when your internal grievance procedure finishes. Don’t wait on an internal process before checking a tribunal deadline that might already be running.

What’s the difference between informal and formal? An informal complaint is a conversation, usually with your manager, aimed at sorting something out quickly and without paperwork. A formal grievance is a written complaint that triggers your employer’s grievance procedure, with an investigation, a hearing, and a written outcome. Use informal where it’s safe and proportionate, use formal where it isn’t, or where informal has already failed.

Can I raise a grievance anonymously? Not in the usual sense, since a formal grievance procedure generally requires your employer to investigate and respond to you directly, which is difficult to do without knowing who raised it. Some employers have separate anonymous reporting channels for serious matters like whistleblowingMaking a disclosure about wrongdoing in your workplace, such as a health and safety risk, a criminal act, or a miscarriage of justice. If the disclosure qualifies as protected, the law gives you signi..., but a standard grievance is not designed to be anonymous.

Can I be treated worse for raising a grievance? No, and if it happens, that is itself a serious problem: potentially a fresh grievance, and possibly a legal claim in its own right. Employers who punish, sideline, or informally retaliate against someone for raising a genuine grievance are exposing themselves to real risk. Keep a record if you notice it starting.

What shouldn’t I say at a grievance hearing? Stick to what you can actually evidence. Don’t guess at your employer’s motives, and don’t say things like they did this because they wanted me out unless you can back it up. It weakens a case that would otherwise stand on facts. Don’t threaten a tribunal claim as a way to push for a better outcome. It can make you look like you’re negotiating rather than raising a genuine concern, and that changes how the room reads you. Keep it about what happened, not the person. Comments that read as personal or insulting give an employer a reason to focus on your conduct instead of the substance of your complaint. Don’t stretch the impact beyond what you can show. If something affected your health or your work, say so plainly, but only to the extent you can back it up. Overstating it undermines the parts that are true.

How do you win a grievance? There’s no guaranteed way to win a grievance. But a few things genuinely help. Keep your account factual and dated. Gather evidence and witness statements as you go, not after the fact. Stick to the process timeline, and be clear about the outcome you’re actually asking for. Grievances that read as emotional venting rather than a specific, evidenced complaint are harder for an employer to act on, even when the underlying issue is genuine.

Common mistakes that weaken a grievance

A few things trip people up again and again. Avoid these and you are already ahead.

• Waiting too long. Memories fade, evidence disappears, and legal time limits are real. Act while things are fresh.
• Being too vague. “I’ve been treated badly” is not something an employer can investigate. Specific incidents with dates are.
• Throwing in everything. A grievance about fifteen things gets taken less seriously than one about the three that matter. Focus.
• Writing in anger. An emotional letter is easier to dismiss. Let the facts carry the weight.
• Keeping no records. Without something in writing, it comes down to your word against theirs. Document as you go.
• Going in alone to the hearing. You have the right to be accompanied. Not using it makes a hard meeting harder.

You do not have to get every part of this perfect. You just have to start, and start well.