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Employment Law for Employers

Grievances and Disciplinaries for Employers

Managing your relationships with and between your employees is imperative to a productive and successful working environment.  We understand that there are times when this may not be the case, either due to performance concerns or there is a disagreement between employees.  In these situations, it is vital to refer to your disciplinary and grievance policy to ensure a fair procedure is followed. 

Every employer is required by law to have such a policy in place which specifies for their employees the procedure that should be following during disciplinary proceedings, should they wish to raise a grievance against a colleague or they are at the receiving end of a grievance being raised.  If your business does not have a policy in place, our Employment Law Solicitors can draft a policy, assist you with the launch and communication within the business and assist with any hearings that need to take place.  

Performance Management and Disciplinaries for Employers

As an employer, it is only natural that you will want to get the best out of your employees and should they not be meeting expectations or they have acted inappropriately, you may be required to take them through a disciplinary process based on capability, conduct or performance.  

In this situation, you will be required to:

  • Inform the employee in writing and with reasonable notice that they are being invited to a disciplinary hearing
  • Perform a thorough and fair investigation into the matter
  • Hold the hearing with the employee(s) involved, giving them the opportunity to voice their side of the matter and responding to any requests to be accompanied during the hearing
  • Deliver your decision and the subsequent outcome to the employee having made your decision based on the evidence before you and not taking into account any discriminatory factors.
  • Allow the employee the opportunity to appeal.

Grievance Procedures for Employers

The process for carrying out a grievance procedure is similar to that of the disciplinary process outlined above, with the additional complication that as an employer, you will need to consider the working relationship between the parties concerned.  Doing so fairly and justly can be complex and is often an area where an employer can be accused of discrimination or unfair treatment.  Our Grievance Solicitors can advise accordingly and help reduce the risk of an Employment Tribunal claim being brought against you.

Contact our Grievance and Disciplinary Solicitors

To discuss how to manage your disciplinary and grievance hearings in your business, or to implement a policy to assist with your employees, contact our Employment Law team in Andover, Romsey, Salisbury, Totton or Witney. You can get in touch by using the Contact Form, emailing info@parkerbullen.com or using one of the phone numbers below: