UK Recruitment Glossary
Grievance Procedure
In recruiter context
Most UK employers have a grievance procedure in their handbook. Standard sequence: informal raising with manager → formal written grievance → grievance hearing → outcome → appeal. The Acas Code of Practice sets the minimum standards. Raising a formal grievance is sometimes a precursor to a tribunal claim because it creates a paper trail. Most grievances don't lead to dramatic outcomes — many are addressed via mediation or process changes. The candidate-side mistake is raising informal grievances repeatedly without escalating; the employer-side mistake is dismissing genuine grievances on procedural grounds.
Related terms
Counter-Offer
When you resign and your current employer offers a raise, promotion, or new title to make you stay.
Tech Stack
The set of technologies (languages, frameworks, tools) used by an employer or in a role.
Cold Application
Applying to a job without any prior contact, referral, or recruiter conversation.
Boolean Search
Recruiters using AND, OR, NOT operators on LinkedIn or job boards to find candidates.