Grievance Policy & Procedure 

  

Company Name: Teachers Together Ltd (“the Company”) 

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Use: Internal Policy

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Model Policy No.  GP1

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Model Policy Name: Grievance Policy & Procedure

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Date: February 2025

 

Version: 1.0

 

 

1. Overview

 

Most grievances can be resolved quickly and informally through discussion with your manager. If this does not resolve the problem you should initiate the formal procedure set out below.

 

This procedure applies to all employees regardless of length of service. It does not apply to members, agency workers or self-employed contractors.

 

This procedure does not form part of any employee’s contract of employment. It may be amended at any time and we may depart from it depending on the circumstances of any case.

 

We follow the ACAS code of practice for grievance procedures. The ACAS codes of practice set the minimum standard of fairness that workplaces should follow. They are used by employment tribunals when deciding on relevant cases.

 

2. Step 1: Written grievance

 

You should set out your grievance in writing and submit it to your Line Manager.

 

If your grievance concerns your Line Manager you may submit it to the Company Director (Oliver Gosden).

 

The written grievance should set out the nature of the complaint, including any relevant facts, dates, and names of individuals involved so that we can investigate it. 

 

In some cases it may be necessary to refer the matter to an external third party. This may be perhaps an external human resource consultant, or the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS).

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https://www.acas.org.uk/grievance-procedure-step-by-step

 

3. Step 2: Meeting

 

We will arrange a grievance meeting, normally within one week of receiving your written grievance.

 

You should make every effort to attend.

 

You may bring a companion to the grievance meeting if you make a reasonable request in advance and tell us the name of your chosen companion. The companion may be either a trade union representative or a colleague, who will be allowed reasonable paid time off from duties to act as your companion.

 

If you or your companion cannot attend at the time specified you should let us know as soon as possible and we will try, within reason, to agree an alternative time.

 

We may adjourn the meeting if we need to carry out further investigations, after which the meeting will usually be reconvened.

 

We will write to you, usually within one week of the last grievance meeting, to confirm our decision and notify you of any further action that we intend to take to resolve the grievance. We will also advise you of your right of appeal.

 

In order to resolve the grievance, we may suggest mediation.

 

4. Mediation

 

Mediation is a way to mend relationships when there is a disagreement at work. Mediation is held by a neutral person (a 'mediator'). The mediator is impartial. This means they do not take sides. They’re there to help everyone involved find a solution they can all agree to. It’s not about judging who was right or wrong in the past, but looks at how to agree on working together in the future.

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Mediation is a quick way to resolve disagreement at work and is:

• less formal

• flexible

• voluntary

• confidential

 

5. How mediation can help

 

Mediation helps to mend workplace relationships by:

• finding solutions that everyone agrees to

• improving communication

• allowing everyone involved to have control of what’s finally agreed

 

Mediation outcomes are decided by everyone involved and can be flexible.

 

Outcomes might include:

• an acknowledgement of each party’s views

• a commitment to change behaviour

• a commitment to regularly review the agreement reached 

• an agreement to review policies and procedures

• an agreement to share work more fairly and provide more responsibility

 

6. A voluntary and confidential process

 

If you do not want to take part in mediation, you do not have to.

 

Mediation is voluntary and confidential. The mediator will agree with everyone involved what information can be shared outside the mediation and how. If you do not reach an agreement, anything that’s been said during the mediation must be kept confidential and cannot be used in future procedures.

 

7. Step 3: Appeals

 

If the grievance has not been resolved to your satisfaction you may appeal in writing to the Company Director (Oliver Gosden), stating your full grounds of appeal, within one week of the date on which the decision was sent or given to you. We will hold an appeal meeting, normally within two weeks of receiving the appeal. This will be dealt with impartially by a senior manager who has not previously been involved in the case. You will have a right to bring a companion.

 

We will confirm our final decision in writing, usually within one week of the appeal hearing. There is no further right of appeal.

 

8. Independent parties

 

Due to the size of the organisation we may decide to engage a third party to participate in the grievance process, for example an external party who may be used to investigate, chair, or take notes in grievance and appeal hearings.

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