If you are having problems with your employer, you can make an official complaint by raising a grievance. By law, you have the right to submit a formal grievance, and your employer should have a formal grievance procedure. If you have not seen your employer’s grievance procedure, you should request to see it. If your employer does not have a grievance procedure, they must follow the steps set out in ACAS’s grievance procedure guidelines. Submitting a grievance letter is simple and straightforward.

You can find a model template for a grievance letter to submit to your employer here: https://www.acas.org.uk/grievance-letter-template

You can find all the information on grievance procedures here: https://www.acas.uk/grievance-procedure-step-by-step

However, you should not fall into the trap of thinking that your employer’s grievance procedure is fair. Grievance procedures amount to little more than your employer sitting in judgment on their own actions. It is little wonder, then, that all too often employers find they have done absolutely nothing wrong, no matter how bad or unfair their actions. If your employer dismisses your grievance, you have the option of taking your case to an employment tribunal, provided your employer’s actions have, in some way, broken the law. If you believe your employer is, in some way, breaking the law, you should include this as part of your grievance in order to put pressure on your employer. If you need any help with this, please do not hesitate to contact us here at Hospitality Worker.

Because the laws relating to grievance procedures are so weak, we would always recommend submitting a collective grievance, provided the issue you are experiencing affects more than one person. Government guidelines do not apply to collective grievances, though, under the law, the employer must behave reasonably when dealing with a collective grievance. The majority of employers have a collective grievance procedure, so you should check with your employer. If your employer does not have a collective grievance procedure, you should put together a grievance letter with the names of those who wish to submit a grievance and set out what your grievance is about. You should make it clear in the letter that you are submitting a collective grievance. Also, ensure all the people involved sign the grievance letter and make sure you date the letter. Should your employer refuse to accept a collective grievance, which rarely happens, all those involved should submit identical individual grievance letters.

If your employer rejects your collective grievance, you can submit a group claim to an employment tribunal, provided their actions are in some way breaking employment laws. However, wherever possible, submitting a collective grievance should be seen as part of a wider campaign against your employer, centered on forcing the employer to concede your grievance. Submitting a collective grievance is one way of starting a campaign, as it brings people together and gives workers the confidence to take on your employer. For advice on how to run a collective campaign, contact us here at SFHWU.