Grievance process and timescales not being adhered to

[blade81]

Hi

can someone help please someone I know has submitted a grievance to employer regarding bullying and discrimination. The employee handbook states meeting will be held within 5 working days of complaint however this time has passed. The person managing the grievance has been chased on this and they have said because HR have been cited also in grievance they are appointing someone external to conduct the investigation however they said this when grievance was first submitted it’s been a week and 3 days have passed and they don’t seem to be any forward. We have been patient and they are breaching their own policy. ACAS advise submit a grievance about this if still not heard anything in a few days, as the meeting does not come under employment law. Any other advice on this?

It’s annoying because they know there are going to be delays but are not informing only when being chased for an update.

Thanks

nikki

[ULA]

I appreciate your concern about the timings, although I do know that sometimes, particularly if an external appointee is needing to be made, then timescales that may be written into a company grievance procedures may not be able to be adhered to. However this does not mean they cannot keep you updated about their efforts to appoint the external person and provide an estimate of revised timescales to keep you informed and manage any frustration at the time taken to set a date for the grievance meeting.

May I suggest that rather than raising an immediate grievance you write to your employer stating that although you appreciate the need to appoint an external person and that this may take the process outside the normal timescales you are disappointed in the lack of communication and notification of a revised estimate of timescales as to when the grievance meeting will take place. Give them a timescale to respond by and say if you have not heard back in that time you will be raising a second grievance regarding their handling of the initial grievance.