Work related - grievance

What result are you hoping for our seeking? Bearing in mind most employers don't do much, and you mark your card

You won’t get this dealt with in 30 minutes you need to be prepared to pay. The 30 minutes will cover an overview not giving specific legal advice on next steps. They certainly wouldn’t be reading your grievance's and feeding back in that time.

How can it be constructive dismissal if you still work there? Do you have evidence for all this stuff?

Try Disability Law Service
dls.org.uk/our-services/employment/

I'd advise bullet points, and categorising them. Along the lines of:

Disability:

1. They said they'd do this reasonable adjustment and didn't
2. They called me a ** in X meeting: Witnessed by A. Whistleblower, statement attached

Exclusion:

1. I wasn't invited to this meeting despite being the lead on part of it. Screenshot of email attached
2. I asked to be included on emails about the Manhatten project as the result effects my work and this hasn't happened.
3. I was invited to a zoom meeting and wasn't allowed entry. W H Smith (host) is willing to tell you that they were told by A Big Boss to block me.

So it's clear.

If it's a lot though, they will almost certainly focus on only some of the accusations, and ignore those where there is no evidence at least. So make sure the bigger ones, and those with evidence are at the top. Things like exclusion #2 I've written there will be he said/she said, they can probably find a reason why they didn't include you, so make sure that sort of one is towards the bottom end - it's there as a "all these things add up" rather than one they will act on.

Good luck.

If you don't want any particular outcome then why raise the grievance? If you hate the job so much leave. If it is about genuine disability discrimination and you think you have some kind of claim then focus your grievance entirely on that. Grievances moaning about not getting on with particular characters or unpleasant bosses can only go so far and the only real outcome could be to move you somewhere else within the business. They can't sack your boss because you've raised a grievance saying they're not nice.

Oh and quote where and how they fail their policies. It needs to be structured. 12 pages is bound to be full of waffling.

Totally agree, don't make it long. Biggest mistake, you'll lose their interest.

Bullet points.

Start with a brief background for each issue.

Don't go on about all the wrong doing and how it affected you. Make this just one or two bullet points.

Most important part....tell them what you want out of the grievance and why you think it's reasonable.

I would go to a specialist employment lawyer.

I run a HR business and deal with grievances a lot for different businesses, if you want me to have a read through it DM me and I can give feedback on it.

It doesn’t really answer the question of what outcome you want. You need to be really clear about that, or you risk it becoming a directionless rant.

Do you want your job back? Do you want to be moved? Do you want a pay off? Do you want someone sacking?

You need evidence in all cases, times, dates, other people, documents etc. Tie everything back to the outcome that you want.

Sometimes u don’t want or need to get to legal jargonny.

You have a grievance, you have written everything down, you have not lied or embellished anything on the forms.

You may/may not have all the proof you need, but all the proof you have - include it.

Keep it clear, concise and simple.

If you’re going to court, keep your temper under control, don’t get into a “heated discussion”, just keep to the facts

goid luck

Some thoughts

unions don’t have to be in your workplace to be part of one. You just have to find the one suitable for your role/profession.

but a union won’t help you now, it’s far too late for a pre-existing issue of this complexity

ACAS will provide guidance on process but absolutely won’t be there to support you. It is not their role to do that. If you go down an unfair/constructive dismissal path ACAS will act as mediators (and you have to do this before tribunal). And remember the 3 months less one day rule, so stuff that happened over a year ago may be ruled out (although it would give context).

not sure CAB will be of help but try them. They may not be specialists in employment law. An employment lawyer is what you need (a friend unless with specific knowledge can only edit based on the readability of your grievance not the content and law / policy aspect).

grievences should start with the solution you are seeking - what do you want out of this process? What do you want the employer to do?

your grievance letter should clearly state the facts but it should be considered. The longest draft grievance that I have read (as an accredited rep) was 120 pages in length. As the rep I gave up after the first 10 pages, as the employer they would haven’t got so far.

you need to stick to facts and try not to get emotional. When there has been an impact you need to be clear in what that impact has been. Being specific against policies and laws is useful.

you need to get a lawyer to advise you and a good one (I know some duff ones out there who will take anything on and have no hope of success). They can help frame your grievance in terms of the law and policies (and if the employer has followed the policies which generally they don’t) and give some indication of your success if you have to go to tribunal.

as an aside and what I say to my members - grievances are awful for all involved and beware, there are always unintended consequences- you will also be put under a spotlight so ensure that you have clean hands and have also behaved appropriately

If you are worried about citizen’s advise not being confidential (it should be but people are people) could you go to one in the next town over?

I’d do as someone else suggested and run it through chat gpt. I’d say you want no more than two sides of A4 as a rough guide.

Do you have legal expenses cover at all? Maybe with household insurance?

You could try submitting a Subject Access Request to get your employer to send you that information? Good luck OP

And the “end point” could be at least 3 - 4 years away given the current state of tribunals, just FYI.