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UK Recruitment Glossary

Grievance Procedure

Alex By Alex · 12-year UK recruiter · Updated April 2026

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.

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