Why are employees so aggrieved?

Claire Hollins, Partner

Although much of the evidence is anecdotal, our team (and many of our clients) have seen a marked increase in the number of employees raising grievances in the last 12 months. This is reflected in the recent Acas Conflict at Work report which revealed that 44% of working age adults have experienced conflict at work in the last year.

Many clients who historically received only one or two grievances a year are now reporting receiving two or three a month and, in some cases, weekly. Not only are the grievances more frequent, but they are also becoming longer, more detailed and more complex with employees frequently deploying AI tools to draft and structure their complaints. We will be discussing the evolving impact of AI in the workplace and how to deal with this at our HR Breakfast next month – you can reserve your free place here.

The strong sense of grievance in workplaces across the UK also seems to be reflected in the 30% increase in requests for early conciliation reported by Acas. From next month, the early conciliation period will be extended from 6 to 12 weeks to support managing that increased demand.

Whilst it is tempting to speculate about what is driving this trend – economic pressures (personal and wider across business); shifting employee expectations; AI fuelled “knowledge” and confidence to raise a complaint; or the influence of social media – the reasons are ultimately less important for employers than the impact. Dealing with grievances can absorb significant management time, disrupt day to day operations and negatively affect productivity. The risks and costs of mishandling them are considerable.

Every employer regardless of size is required to have a written grievance procedure in place. As a minimum that policy should be followed when dealing with complaints.

Employers must also take into account the requirements of the Acas Code of Practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures particularly because failure to follow the Code can lead to an uplift of up to 25% in any compensation awarded by an Employment Tribunal.

Prevention will always be better than cure, but where grievances do arise, well-trained managers are crucial. Effective and consistent handling reduces both the time spent dealing with conflict and the risk that issues escalate into tribunal claims. We deliver training across a wide range of employment law topics, including handling grievances and workplace investigations.

If you would like support with training or managing a grievance, please get in touch.