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Grievance Policy template

Formal grievance procedure following ACAS Code: raising, investigating, appeal and mediation.

Legal basis
  • ACAS Code of Practice on Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures
  • Employment Rights Act 1999
Last reviewed April 2025. Guidance, not legal advice.

What the policy covers

  1. 1. POLICY STATEMENT
    your company recognises that employees may from time to time have concerns, complaints or grievances relating to their work or working relationships.
  2. 2. INFORMAL RESOLUTION
    Before raising a formal grievance, employees are encouraged to speak to their line manager informally.
  3. 4. APPEAL
    If the employee is not satisfied with the outcome, they may appeal in writing within … of receiving the written outcome.
  4. 5. CONFIDENTIALITY
    All grievances will be handled with appropriate confidentiality.
  5. 6. OVERLAP WITH DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS
    If an employee raises a grievance while disciplinary proceedings are in progress, the company may:
  6. 7. MEDIATION
    Where a grievance involves an ongoing working relationship, the company may suggest mediation as an alternative or complementary means of resolution.
  7. 8. PROTECTION FROM VICTIMISATION
    Employees who raise a grievance in good faith will not be subjected to any detriment.
  8. 9. REVIEW
    This policy will be reviewed annually and following any update to the ACAS Code or relevant legislation.

Who needs it

Any employer with more than a handful of staff. These are the policies a tribunal or agency looks for when something has gone wrong between people.

Questions people ask

Is a grievance policy a legal requirement?

It rests on ACAS Code of Practice on Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures and Employment Rights Act 1999. Some policies must be written down once a business reaches a certain size or does certain work; others are simply how a tribunal, an inspector or an auditor expects to see that you have thought about it. A clear, dated, signed policy is the evidence either way. Guidance, not legal advice.

Can I change it to suit how we work?

Yes. Inside Work-Lynx it is a starting point: put your company name in, adjust the arrangements to what you actually do, set the review date and publish it. Staff read and acknowledge it on their phones, and you can see who has not.

Is it up to date?

Last reviewed April 2025. The pack is updated when the law moves, and every policy carries a review date so it does not quietly go stale.

How do I get it?

Two ways. It is preloaded in Work-Lynx with the other 48 policies (from £2.50 plus £1 per employee, 14 days free, no card), and a Word version is a free download on our free templates page.

Who is it for?

Any employer with more than a handful of staff. These are the policies a tribunal or agency looks for when something has gone wrong between people.

All 49 UK policies, £2.50 a month

This policy and 48 others are already in Work-Lynx, alongside GPS clock-in, rotas, timesheets, annual leave and an employment-question advisor. £2.50 base plus £1 per employee a month. 14 days free, no card, no sales call.

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