We recognise that from time to time you may wish to raise concerns relating to your employment, or discuss matters that are causing you personal distress or upset whilst at work. It is our policy to encourage free communication between employees and management to ensure that any problem or issue arising during the course of employment can be resolved as fairly and as quickly as possible.

Informal stage

In order to achieve a speedy resolution of any problem or issue that you may have, you should start by having an informal discussion with your manager. Having an informal discussion can quite often solve the problem. Should your grievance concern your manager, or if you feel it too serious to raise informally, you should raise the matter through the formal procedure as set out below.

Formal stage

If you are dissatisfied with the informal outcome you may wish to make a formal grievance which must be set out in writing to the Chief Executive/Company Secretary or the Chairman.

It is the Organisation’s intention to consider all grievances as soon as possible, and a meeting will be held as soon as is reasonably practicable. You will be given at least 24 hours’ notice of the meeting. The meeting will enable you to give full details.

You are entitled to be accompanied by a fellow employee or accredited trade union official at the grievance meeting.
It may not be appropriate to take up your grievance with the Chief Executive or the Chairman if your grievance is about that person. In this case you should raise it with the Chairman or the Full Board of Trustees whichever is appropriate.

After the meeting you will be informed of the decision in response to the grievance, usually within 5 working days, unless this is not reasonably practicable. You have the right to appeal against this decision.

If you wish to appeal, you must inform the Organisation in writing within 7 calendar days from when the written outcome was sent to you. You will then be invited to attend another meeting, with at least 24 hours’ notice, after which you will be informed of the final decision.

It is not permissible to record, whether audio and/or visual, any meetings which take place as part of this procedure, without the express written authorisation of the Company.

Appeal stage

Following the grievance meeting and its subsequent outcome, if you are still not entirely satisfied or consider you have not been fairly treated you may appeal in writing. Your appeal should say why you are appealing against the decision and this needs to be received by us within 7 calendar days from when the written outcome was sent to you, unless exceptional circumstances prevail.

You will then be invited to an appeal hearing at which you will also have the right to be accompanied by either a work colleague or an accredited Trade Union representative. You will receive at least 24 hours’ notice of the appeal hearing. Following the appeal hearing, you will receive a written outcome which will conclude the process.