Grievance Policy

The grievance procedure is designed to enable colleagues to raise complaints about the conduct of other colleagues or managers or other issues about which they feel aggrieved.

The Society believes that some issues can be successfully resolved informally between the parties and this policy is not intended to operate in such a way that it prevents the informal resolution of issues between colleagues or the Society.

Principles

The principles which will apply to grievances raised under this policy are:

• All matters raised will be dealt with confidentially and discreetly.

• Colleagues will not be victimised because they invoked the grievance procedure, although any colleague found to have made a deliberately false complaint may be subject to disciplinary action;

• The Society would prefer to hear complaints at an early stage, before a matter becomes complex or long standing, and colleagues are therefore encouraged to raise issues sooner rather than later;

• Before raising a grievance under this procedure colleagues are encouraged, where appropriate, to seek to resolve the issue on an informal basis;

• Colleagues should discuss matters informally with their Manager in the first instance unless this is not practicable, for example the matters relates to that person. Any informal discussions which a colleague may have with management or colleagues will fall outside of the Society’s grievance procedure and the right to be accompanied referred to below will not apply to such discussions

• If any colleague suspects another of acting in an illegal or corrupt manner, whether or not the Society is the victim, he or she is required to bring the matter to the attention of their Manager at the earliest opportunity. Ideally, the matter should not be referred to any outside authority until an appropriate manager has been informed and given an opportunity to deal with the matter. This does not apply in cases of genuine emergency.

Submitting a Grievance

The process for submitting a grievance is as follows:

• If the colleague does not wish to raise a grievance informally or has done so but it has not been resolved to their satisfaction, then the colleague should raise a formal grievance.

• Any formal complaint or grievance should be made in writing setting out the nature of the grievance, making it clear that it is a formal grievance under the grievance procedure, and it should be delivered or emailed to their Manager. Where the problem relates to that manager, the colleague should raise the matter with an individual of appropriate seniority and experience to deal with it. The colleague may also be asked to set out any suggestions for resolution of the grievance.

• The Manager will investigate all complaints and grievances and will carry out the investigation in any manner considered appropriate. Usually, colleagues involved in the matter will be interviewed and may be asked to make a statement, which may need to be shown to other colleagues.

Grievance Meeting

• The appropriate Manager will invite the colleague to an initial meeting as soon as possible, usually within five working days of the complaint being made. The Manager will discuss the grievance with the colleague and the colleague should explain their grievance in full. If necessary the meeting will be adjourned to enable further investigation to be carried out.

• The colleague may reasonably request to be accompanied at any meeting by a colleague of the Society or by a trade union official if they wish. Their chosen companion will be permitted to address the meeting and to confer with the colleagues during the meeting (but not to answer questions on their behalf).

• The colleague and his or her chosen companion should make every effort to attend the meeting.

• If the colleague’s chosen companion is not available at the time proposed for the meeting by the Society and the colleague proposes an alternative time (within five workings days of the day proposed by the Society), the Society will postpone the meeting to the time proposed by the colleague if that is reasonable.

• The Society shall permit a colleague to take reasonable time off during working hours for the purpose of accompanying another of the Society’s colleagues, where a colleague has reasonably requested to be accompanied by that colleague at a meeting.

Outcome of Grievance

The colleague shall be informed in writing, usually within ten working days of the grievance meeting, of the decision which has been made in relation to their grievance.

If a complaint or grievance is not upheld the colleague shall be informed of that fact in writing and advised of the right of appeal. Where disciplinary action is taken against an individual that fact shall be disclosed, but the Society may withhold details of any sanction imposed.