If you have a problem or complaint about work, it may be difficult to know what steps to take. 

For some types of problem, such as changes to working practices or relationship problems with your manager, you'll have a greater chance of resolving it by dealing with it quickly and informally.

Examples of issues that may lead to a formal grievance include:

• terms & conditions of employment
• health & safety
• work relations
• bullying & harassment
• new working practices
• working environment, or
• organisational change.

This list is not exhaustive.

Other processes

Please also consider whether your issue is better dealt with under another procedure — such as incident reporting or raising concerns (about safety issues) or making a bullying complaint.

(Please note: the below relates to England, Wales and Scotland only. If you work in Northern Ireland, please see the nidirect advice on this topic.)

The grievance procedure enables you to raise concerns with management about workplace problems. Your employer should have a grievance policy/procedure which you should read to familiarise yourself with the process.

To ensure a fair process is followed, it should have at least three key stages:

1. the option to resolve the issue informally (use our checklist to help with this)
2. the first formal stage (submitting a grievance), and
3. the opportunity to appeal the decision

Before submitting a formal grievance (stage 2), please see the ‘RCN support’ section below and contact us for advice. If you know your RCN representative, you can contact them directly or you can find details of your local branch on MyRCN. 

There are also strict deadlines to lodge workplace appeals and subsequent employment tribunal claims, Find out more in the 'RCN Support' section below.

In addition to your employer's policy, the ACAS Code of Practice sets out standards of fairness and reasonable behaviour that employers and employees are expected to follow in most situations when dealing with a dispute in the workplace. But, remember: it is always advisable to try to resolve disputes informally before lodging a formal grievance. 

The general process

The table below explains a typical grievance process, but you should also check your employer’s policy for the process that applies where you work.

If something doesn't feel right at work, it's important to know where you stand. Our resources can help you make sense of the situation and find the support you need. 

Many issues in work can be resolved amicably by talking about it to a colleague, or your manager and following local policies.  

However, it is important to contact us for advice and support without delay if:

• the incident is of a highly serious nature (for example, the police are involved)
• you are considering making a formal complaint or taking legal action
• you are considering resigning
• you feel you are being treated differently to your colleagues because of a ‘protected characteristic’ – see our discrimination advice guide for more. 

Taking action informally 

Following our guidance above and in the problems at work checklist, you could try to resolve the issue informally.  

Remember, evidence is important so please keep your own record/diary of who you spoke to and when, along with any action plan/changes that were agreed as a result of your informal complaint. 

Raising a formal grievance 

If the informal approach hasn’t worked, get further advice and support from us before proceeding with a formal grievance. Provided you were in the correct category of membership at the time of the incident, we will discuss your issues and the merits of your grievance. We will be able to help explain the process that would be followed and what you should expect. We won’t support grievances which we believe have little chance of any positive outcome. 

Before contacting us, you should read your employer’s grievance (or dispute resolution) policy and start gathering evidence or supporting information that you might have. 

This could include:

• emails, messages or other paperwork, e.g. payslips, if relevant to the issue
• your own diary of events (like our bullying diary if you have been using it)
• a list of witnesses; is there someone else who witnessed what happened?
• medical evidence, if health issues are relevant to your issue.  

 
If the issue is ongoing, please continue to gather evidence/information that demonstrates what is happening to you. Your own personal diary of events will be really important to help us piece together a timeline of what has happened. 

Then, use our checklist to start drafting your grievance letter (see step 3: escalate) but don’t submit it yet. Contact us as soon as possible for further advice and support.

Not in RCN membership at the time of the issue? 

If you want to raise a grievance but you were not in RCN membership at the time of the issue giving rise to your complaint, please read our advice on accessing support for matters which occurred outside RCN membership. The RCN will be unable to offer you representation for the grievance proceedings. 

Appeals and legal proceedings 

If you're unhappy with the outcome, discuss this with your RCN representative and explore whether an appeal is appropriate and what this could reasonably achieve. We are unable to support appeals which have limited prospects of success or will likely be detrimental to yourself.  

If the appeals process has been exhausted, an employment tribunal claim may be an option. Read our guidance on employment tribunals for more information. There are very rigid time limits for submitting claims to an employment/industrial tribunal. For most claims this is three months less one day from the date of the incident - this is called the limitation date.  

This area is complex and given the time limits involved, it’s really important to contact us for advice as soon as possible if you need our support with this type of action. This will enable our legal team to assess any potential claim and advise you whether we can support you. We may not be able to offer full support if we have less than six weeks to prepare before the end of the time limit. 

Collective grievances 

'Collective' grievances occur when several staff are affected by the same problem.  

If two or more employees raise the same grievance, then the provisions of the ACAS Code do not apply. Your local policy should determine the process for the collective dispute. 

If you are considering a collective dispute alongside your colleagues, please contact us for further advice.

Witnesses 

If you are called as a witness for a grievance hearing, read our advice for witnesses. If you are concerned that being a witness in the hearing could result in any action being taken against you, then you should contact us.  

Other sources of support 

Taking action can be challenging but the RCN is here to support you. If you need emotional support, please contact us. Our Counselling team may be able to help you. Find out more about our Counselling service. 

You may find our other member support services helpful – such as the peer support service and the Immigration advice service. 

If you have financial difficulties because of what has happened, see our financial wellbeing resources from our Welfare team. 

If you raise a grievance during a disciplinary process, the procedure can be temporarily suspended to deal with your grievance. If the grievance and disciplinary case are related it may be appropriate to deal with both issues at the same time.

You should not be victimised for lodging a grievance. If your grievance does not resolve your concerns, you may need to decide whether to take further action. Please contact us to discuss your concerns.

If a grievance has been lodged against you as a manager, you should read our advice about investigations then seek advice and support from your HR department. 

If at any point you feel there are other contributing factors to the grievance such as discrimination, please contact us.

When your employer discusses the allegations with you, be ready and able to justify any managerial decisions or actions you took in line with your employer's policies. 

At this initial stage, you are not being disciplined. However, if disciplinary action is taken against you at a later stage, the RCN will represent you in most cases and you should contact us to discuss this.

What software will I need to use?

In advance of the hearing confirm what software will be needed. If you do not have access to this, let your employer or representative know as soon as possible. You should also confirm whether you will be on video or whether the hearing will be audio only.

If you are on video, we suggest dressing as if the hearing was going ahead in person. You should be comfortable but look professional. Hearings are usually held in formal environments and there is an expectation that your clothing will be smart.

When should I mute my microphone when giving evidence?

If you are speaking, you will need to ensure your microphone is on and close enough to you to allow all the attendees to hear you clearly. When you are not speaking, we suggest muting your microphone to limit any background noise.

What if I lose connection?

Do not worry or panic, anyone involved in virtual hearings will know that technology is not always reliable. Prior to the start of the meeting, it is advisable to exchange telephone numbers with your representative or someone else at the hearing. This means you can easily get back in touch if the connection is lost to see whether anything can be done, such as taking a short adjournment to allow you time to reconnect.

Can I record the hearing, take photographs or use my mobile phone during the hearing?

Much like an in-person hearing, you should not use your mobile phone, which should be on silent while the hearing is ongoing. Unless it is agreed by all attendees, you should not record any part of the hearing or take photographs. Notes, minutes and/or a transcript are usually taken to ensure that there is an accurate record of the hearing.

ACAS resources on raising a grievance at work

ACAS Code of Practice on Discipline and Grievance

nidirect: grievance procedures

The Labour Relations Agency (LRA) Code of Practice on Disciplinary and Grievance procedures sets out principles that should be followed in Northern Ireland.

If you work outside of the NHS, please see our Employment Standards for Independent Health and Social Care Sectors. These set out what we expect employers in these settings to deliver for the nursing workforce.