A grievance is a complaint made by an official/volunteer/employee to the charity, which requires the organisation to take further action.
Dealing with grievances informally
If you have a grievance or complaint to do with your activities or the people you do them with you should, wherever possible, start by talking it over with your supervisior. You may be able to agree on a solution informally between you.
Formal grievance
If the matter is serious and/or you wish to raise the matter formally you should set out the grievance in writing to your supervisior. You should stick to the facts and avoid language that is insulting or abusive.
Where your grievance is against your supervisior and you feel unable to approach him or her you should talk to another supervisior, chief executive or chair of trustees.
Grievance hearing
They will call you to a meeting, normally within five days, to discuss your grievance. You have the right to be accompanied by a colleague or representative at this meeting if you make a reasonable request.
After the meeting, they will give you a decision in writing, normally within 24 hours.
Appeal
If you are unhappy with their decision and you wish to appeal you should let them know.
You will be invited to an appeal meeting, normally within five days, and your appeal will be heard by a more senior person. You have the right to be accompanied by a colleague or representative at this meeting if you make a reasonable request.
After the meeting, the manager will give you a decision, normally within 24 hours. This decision is final.
Date Adopted: 8 January 2019
Policy based on an example from NCVO published 2016
taken from the ACAS publication Discipline and Grievances at Work – The ACAS guide (2009).
