What is included in a Grievance Letter?

This Grievance Letter template covers: a description of your grievance when your grievance started an outline of previous steps taken to address the problem any potential solutions to the problem an option to be accompanied by someone at the meeting discussing your grievance

Why do I need a Grievance Letter?

You need a Grievance Letter when you want to raise a formal complaint about an issue at work. Grievance Letters cover a number of different situations that may lead to a complaint, including discrimination , bullying , health and safety concerns or breach of contract (eg if you haven't been paid on time). For more information, read Employee grievances and raising grievances .

What steps should I take before submitting a Grievance Letter?

Employees should aim to settle most grievances informally with their employer. This should be done by speaking directly to a manager or other appropriate person (eg an HR manager). If the issue is still unresolved, you can then submit a Grievance Letter to your employer. This should be done without unreasonable delay, so the issue can be dealt with as swiftly as possible. For more information, read Employee grievances and raising grievances .

Is a Grievance Letter a legal action against the employer?

A Grievance Letter is not a legal action against an employer. It is simply a letter of complaint to an employer about your problems or concerns at work.

What happens after I have submitted a Grievance Letter?

If your employer has a grievance procedure in place, this should outline the steps involved in the grievance process, and the employer should follow these. If no such procedure is in place, the employer should follow the Acas Code of Practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures . Your employer should arrange to have a meeting to discuss the grievance . You can choose to be accompanied if you wish. The aim of this meeting is to resolve the issue. If no further agreement is found you may need to take your employer to an employment tribunal , if appropriate. For more information, read Employee grievances and raising grievances .

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Other Names: Letter of Grievance Employee Grievance Letter Grievance Letter to Employer Formal Complaint Letter to Employer Grievance Letter Against Employer

What is a Grievance Letter?

A Grievance Letter is a formal letter of complaint to an employer. Grievance Letters are used to set out a grievance, when it started, how an informal resolution has been attempted and any proposals for resolving the issue formally.

When should I use a Grievance Letter?

Use this Grievance Letter when you want to make a formal complaint to your employer because you:

have been bullied at work
feel you have been discriminated against at work
have a concern about health and safety
think your employment contract has been breached

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Dear ,

RE: FORMAL LETTER OF GRIEVANCE

In line with the ACAS Code of Practice on Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures please consider this correspondence to constitute a formal letter of grievance.

The issue which has led to me lodging this grievance concerns and began on . .

I have previously tried to resolve these problems at work informally:

However, I have not had any success trying to resolve matters in this way, so I'm now pursuing a more formal route.

I would very much like us to address the problem internally, without the need for any legal action. I would like to propose the following method of resolving the current situation so that I can focus on my job without being affected by these issues:

I look forward to your response with details of a formal grievance meeting where we can have a discussion and hopefully come to a solution.

Yours sincerely,

_________________________________

About Grievance Letters

Learn more about making your Grievance Letter

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How to make a Grievance Letter
Making a Grievance Letter online is simple. Just answer a few questions and Rocket Lawyer will build your document for you. When you have all of the details prepared in advance, making your document is a quick and easy process.

To make your Grievance Letter you will need the following information:

Party details
- The employer’s details (eg name and address).
- Your details (eg name and address).
- Is this Letter made in accordance with the employer’s grievance procedure or the Acas Code of Practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures?
Grievance
- What issue has caused this grievance?
- When did the issue begin?
- What are the details of the issue?
- How did you try to resolve the problem informally?
- How do you propose to resolve the problem?
- Do you want to be accompanied at the formal grievance meeting by someone? If so, by whom?
Letter details
- If the employer is a company, partnership or LLP, who is the recipient of the Letter?
- On what date will the Letter be sent or handed to the employer?
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Common terms in a Grievance Letter
You can use a Grievance Letter to make a formal complaint to your employer. As a result, this Grievance Letter covers:

Sender and recipient details

The start of the Grievance Letter provides details of the employer (with whom the grievance is being raised) and the employee (who is making and sending the Letter).

The grievance itself

The body of the Grievance Letter sets out the details of the grievance the employee is raising. This includes:
- the nature of the issue which has led to the grievance being lodged
- details of the grievance issue and how it affected the employee
- how attempts have previously been made to resolve the issue informally
- an explanation that this is a formal complaint as an informal resolution process has not worked
- proposed solutions for the formal grievance
- who the employee wants to be accompanied by at the grievance meeting (if anyone)
If you want your Grievance Letter to include further or more detailed provisions, you can edit your document. However, if you do this, you may want a lawyer to review or change the Grievance Letter for you to make sure it complies with all relevant laws and meets your specific needs. Ask a lawyer for assistance.
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Legal tips for making a Grievance Letter
Raise any issues informally before raising a formal grievance

As a starting point, you should always try to resolve your issue informally. Before submitting a formal complaint, speak to your manager or HR department about the issues you have been facing. Together you may be able to resolve the issues without the need for a formal meeting.

Attempting to resolve issues informally may also help bolster your formal grievance if it comes to that. By showing that you have attempted to resolve issues informally, you demonstrate your commitment towards reaching a resolution.

Read Employee grievances and raising grievances for more information on how to prepare for such an informal meeting.

Understand when to seek advice from a lawyer

Ask a lawyer for advice:
- if this document doesn’t meet your needs
- in situations where you feel an employer is being unreasonable
- if you are uncomfortable facing your employer alone
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Grievance Letter FAQs

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What is included in a Grievance Letter?
This Grievance Letter template covers:
- a description of your grievance
- when your grievance started
- an outline of previous steps taken to address the problem
- any potential solutions to the problem
- an option to be accompanied by someone at the meeting discussing your grievance
Why do I need a Grievance Letter?

You need a Grievance Letter when you want to raise a formal complaint about an issue at work. Grievance Letters cover a number of different situations that may lead to a complaint, including discrimination, bullying, health and safety concerns or breach of contract (eg if you haven't been paid on time).

For more information, read Employee grievances and raising grievances.
What steps should I take before submitting a Grievance Letter?

Employees should aim to settle most grievances informally with their employer. This should be done by speaking directly to a manager or other appropriate person (eg an HR manager). If the issue is still unresolved, you can then submit a Grievance Letter to your employer. This should be done without unreasonable delay, so the issue can be dealt with as swiftly as possible. For more information, read Employee grievances and raising grievances.
Is a Grievance Letter a legal action against the employer?

A Grievance Letter is not a legal action against an employer. It is simply a letter of complaint to an employer about your problems or concerns at work.
What happens after I have submitted a Grievance Letter?

If your employer has a grievance procedure in place, this should outline the steps involved in the grievance process, and the employer should follow these. If no such procedure is in place, the employer should follow the Acas Code of Practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures.

Your employer should arrange to have a meeting to discuss the grievance. You can choose to be accompanied if you wish. The aim of this meeting is to resolve the issue.

If no further agreement is found you may need to take your employer to an employment tribunal, if appropriate.

For more information, read Employee grievances and raising grievances.

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Important details
- Your Grievance Letter is a formal notice and must be served correctly on your employer. Before sending your Letter, check your employment contract and any relevant HR policies (eg your employer’s grievance procedure) for any rules about serving notices. If such exist, make sure to follow them.
- If you deliver your Grievance Letter by hand, give it to the relevant party (eg your manager) personally. Keep a copy of the signed Letter that you hand-delivered and anything else included with it (eg supporting documentation).
- If you send your Grievance Letter by post, use recorded delivery and keep a copy of the proof of posting and delivery. Keep a copy of the signed Letter that was sent and anything else included with it (eg supporting documentation).
- If you send your Grievance Letter by email, check that you are allowed to do so and keep ‘read receipts’ as proof of service. Keep a copy of the email that was sent and any attachments together with any ‘read receipts’.
- Speak to your employer in person before you send or deliver the Grievance Letter. By raising the grievance informally first, you can try to resolve it without the need for a formal grievance. If this is not practical, make sure that your employer has received and read your Letter.

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