At Wholegrain, we aim to create a safe, happy, working environment for everybody. If you experience any difficulties, we believe you should be able to voice your concerns constructively. This section sets out our grievance policy and procedure.
This procedure applies to all current and former employees and is intended to deal with individual grievances. It does not form part of your contract of employment and may be amended from time to time. Any, and all, personal data used in conjunction with this policy shall be collected, held, and processed in accordance with our ‘Data Protection Policy.’
Informal Stage
We encourage you to try to resolve any grievances informally with the help of your Line Manager or another Manager if you prefer. In most cases if a grievance is raised at an early opportunity, then it is more likely that it can be resolved informally, quickly and can prevent minor complaints escalating into major disputes to the detriment of all parties. Basically the sooner the better, rather than allowing things to fester. If the problem is resolved informally then for clarity, details of the action taken will be confirmed in writing to you.
If the problem isn’t resolved to your satisfaction, and ideally within a week of your raising your concerns, you should then initiate the formal grievance procedure as detailed below.
Formal Stage
Put your grievance in writing, detailing the nature of the grievance, including any names, dates, and facts, and give this to your Line Manager, or another Manager. If you feel that the issue is too personal to discuss with them then it can be raised to the HR Consultant instead if you prefer.
Meeting
Within one week of receiving your letter, we’ll arrange for a meeting to discuss the issue. We’ll give you a minimum of 72 hours’ notice of this meeting so that you can organise a colleague or registered trade union rep to attend with you for support if you wish. If you can let us know beforehand if you’re bringing somebody with you and/or if you have any documentation you’d like us to see before the meeting, that would be appreciated. Your companion is welcome to input into the meeting however, is not permitted to answer questions on your behalf or prevent you or the company from explaining their point of view. If for some reason you, or your companion, is unable to attend the meeting, then we will rearrange it for some time in the following five working days. If you decide not to attend the meeting then a decision may be made in your absence and on the available information.
Once we have come to a decision regarding your grievance, we will advise you of that verbally as well as write to you (ideally within one week of the meeting) to confirm our decision. We may have to adjourn the meeting to do further investigations and then reconvene at a later stage to confirm the outcome of our deliberations which may also include reference to any further action we intend to take to resolve the grievance. If for some reason there is going to be a delay, due to more extensive investigation into the matter for example, then we will let you know.
Appeal
If the grievance hasn’t been resolved to your satisfaction, you may appeal in writing within one week of receiving the written confirmation of our decision. We’ll hold a meeting with you, and your chosen colleague or registered trade union representative if you wish to be accompanied, within one week of receiving your letter. This meeting will be conducted by somebody not involved in the first meeting and possibly the next level of management. As before, if for some reason you, or your companion, is unable to attend the meeting then we will rearrange it for some time in the following five working days. If you decide not to attend the meeting then a decision may be made in your absence and on the available information.
Following further consideration of your grievance, we will advise you of our conclusions in relation to your concerns which we will also follow up in writing within one week of the meeting. That decision will be final and after this stage there is no further right to appeal.
Reasonable Adjustments
If you, your companion, or a witness that you wish to call, requires any reasonable adjustments to be taken into consideration for any stages of this procedure due to disability, then please let us know as soon as you can so that appropriate support can be given.
Records
We’ll take notes at all stages of this procedure which will be shared with you to confirm if you agree that they are a fair and accurate record of our discussions. We won’t be recording any of the meetings and ask that you do not do so either, covertly or otherwise.
Footnote
As with many things in life, things don’t always go according to plan and this may also apply to the time limits in this procedure. In the event that we are unable to adhere to the time limits specified then we will keep you informed and advise you of the circumstances regarding the delay. If you wish to object to any delay then you may do so by voicing your concerns to a Manager not involved in the case.
Pending resolution of your grievance, the same employment conditions prior to its notification will continue except in those circumstances where it can be reasonably agreed that such a continuation would have a damaging effect on Wholegrain’s business and/or day-to-day operations.
Where a grievance is raised during a disciplinary process then the disciplinary process may be temporarily suspended in order to deal with the issues raised by the grievance. Alternatively we may decide to run both processes concurrently.