How to handle appeals against grievance decisions

Author: Kalpana Murthy

Summary

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• Follow your organisation's grievance procedure and the Acas code of practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures.
• Inform the employee of the right of appeal when notifying them of the grievance decision.
• Set out the time limit for the employee to submit an appeal and explain that the appeal should be in writing.
• Inform the employee in writing of the date, time and place of the appeal hearing, as well as their right to be accompanied by a colleague or trade union representative.
• Examine the specific grounds of appeal carefully to determine whether a review or a rehearing is appropriate.
• Ensure that the appeal is heard without unreasonable delay, and preferably by someone who is more senior than the person who conducted the original grievance hearing.
• Make reasonable adjustments for a disabled employee if required, for example by permitting an alternative or additional companion from outside the usual permitted categories.
• If an employee fails to attend the appeal hearing, investigate the reasons for non-attendance and rearrange the hearing where appropriate.
• Adjourn the hearing to investigate any new information or evidence that arises.
• Inform the employee in writing of the outcome of the appeal and whether or not there is a further right of appeal.
• Ensure that records of the grievance process are kept confidential.