The content of the grievance

All the Acas Code says about the content of the written grievance letter is that it should “set out the nature of the grievance”. It is important for the grievance letter to focus on relevant, key points and to try not to get bogged down in irrelevant issues, especially personal issues around management or colleague relationships, and to avoid rude or antagonistic language.

If a worker wants to bring a grievance about verbal remarks, for example, use of abusive or racist language, it is a good idea for the grievance to set out the language used as accurately as possible, so that there is a clear and consistent record of what the employee says took place. It is also a good idea to explain briefly and succinctly how the language made the worker feel and what the worker would like done about it. If the worker thinks that the behaviour complained of is discriminatory, it is likely to be a good idea to raise this at the outset in the grievance letter (see Chapter 6: Discrimination). A member needs to think carefully before raising discrimination as it is likely to raise the temperature of the grievance process and may result, for example, in the involvement of outside solicitors.

It is a good idea for employees who are considering raising a grievance to start keeping a diary of relevant incidents, so that they have an accurate source of who said what to whom and when. This can help make sure any grievance letter is accurate if the member decides to lodge a formal grievance.