Grievance

[Sparklybutold]

Got an email yesterday out the blue inviting me to a grievance meeting. No detail about what the grievance is about in the letter. Seems my managers don't know nor do HR? It seems the only person that knows is the investigating officer? And whoever made the complaint?

I have looked at the policy which frankly isn't very clear.

I hate the unknowns and this is really stressful? I'd have thought that if you are attending a meeting where a complaint has been made against you then you would be given the details of what this is about prior? I've contacted the investigating officer who bounced me back to HR, and then HR said they don't know the details and have bounced me back to the investigating officer. The lady from HR was abrupt and demonstrated no care. The call ended abruptly when I asked ‘so there's nothing you can do to support me?’ next thing I hear is the ring tone - great.

So it's the weekend tomorrow and I am working. Bloody fantastic.

Any advice?

Are you in the UK?
That's illegal

@Wisteriaroundthedoor

Do you have any advice regarding the fact finding meeting?

Good etiquette doesn't come into an investigation, you're there to get information not reassure people. You can't reassure anyone, you don't know what's happened, what people's involvement is etc and people like in general investigations all the time! It's bad practice to let people know in advance, you don't want prepared answers or give people time to fabricate answers. You don't have to let the individual bring in a companion to a fact finding meeting, personally I never give notice either, just pull people in 🤷 anyway it's very possible the complaint isn't against you OP💐

Honestly if you think you will need support take someone with you. Even a companion. If you feel upset ask to adjourn. Ask the process and next steps . It’s not a grievance. As said please don’t worry, as you’ve not done anything it’s he said she said, and ultimately it will come to nothing.

@Wisteriaroundthedoor I'm sat here going through all my conversations thinking whtgerbit was one of them... If I have upset someone surely there would have been a better way of handling it? Or can this happen sometimes? What on earth happens ‘if’ it is a ‘he said, she said’ type thing? How on earth do you navigate these? My heads spinning.

Your letter says you can bring someone so it seems so yeah. What about the documented grievance process is unclear? Just wondered if anyone here could help if you explain. It should lay out am overview of the process

In this situation I would assume you can take your union rep. Also, if they can’t make the time you have been allocated, you can get the meeting deferred until they are available (within reason)

Google “right to be accompanied “

In most organisations you can be accompanied at a fact find/investigation/

If you are blindsided by the matter that is raised, ask for an adjournment.

@Maedan when I've conducted fact finding meetings, if I'm speaking with someone who is a potential witness I will call them and tell them I'm sending an outlook invitation, it's for a fact find meeting, as I'm investigating a conduct allegation. And I will say that they are being spoken with as a witness, and their own conduct is not under investigation. Sometimes I don't bother with the call if they're a senior/experienced manager that I have held multiple fact finding meetings with previously. But particularly junior members of staff I will make the call otherwise they worry, and sometimes I have to schedule meetings days or a week in advance. So I would disagree, I think etiquette is important.

Also it's in my best interest to put a witness at ease and ensure they understand the process, because I want them to be open with me.

Do you have a trade union in your workplace ? They can help.

This absolutely sounds like the way it should be

Free Speech isn’t a trade union.

If they won’t accompany you, make sure you take a reliable colleague with you.

This is from their website.

If you say what sector you work in I can explain which unions might be relevant, but they aren’t pay as you go, so wouldn’t represent you for this immediate meeting.

OP, Im an employment lawyer.

If they are inviting you as a witness to another employees grievance, you have no legal right to know what you are being interviewed for in advance.

If they are inviting you to an investigatory/fact finding meeting with a view to later disciplining you if allegations are proven, you still have no right at the investigatory stage to know what the allegations are. You also don’t have the legal right to be accompanied. It’s only at a disciplinary stage that these rights kick in.

just go to the meeting, with a companion, and see what it’s all about.

How is best practise determined then?

Op, I hope meeting goes well for you, I really do!

Meanwhile, I am flabbergasted that this is what working in the corporate world is like. I work in a small company and I never worry about what I said beyond being generally normal and respectful. It must be like walking on eggshells for you.

Surely, if you feel your conscience is free then it is.

This does sound like a very anxiety inducing process.

I do wonder how policies get passed when they don't take into account how they make people feel, innocent until proven guilty.

I have had to conduct similar investigations in the past, years ago so I don't remember too much, but it was taken out of HR's hands - that doesn't mean they should hang up the phone on you though. When I had to handle an investigation, HR team were wholly hacked off that they weren't central to the process - that could be why the person was snotty towards you.
Earlier comments about not giving details so as to avoid collusion are fair. I wasn't allowed to discuss the matter with the Chief Exec or Trustees either, because they would potentially be involved in any appeals process.

Does your organisation have any Employee Support Programs that you can access? They are confidential.
Read your companies' whistleblowing and grievance policies - it could potentially fall under either of those.
If you're anxious about being at work before the meeting, consider whether the stress had made you unfit for work, and don't go in until the meeting?

Try not to worry too much, as others have said, you could well be being interviewed as a potential witness (think of the odds, many more potential witnesses than the person who's the target of the allegations 🙂)

I hope that it goes well.

Wishing you all the best in the meeting. DO NOT GO ALONE! You feel vulnerable enough, take someone with you, slow down your responses in there and take your time answering, and adjourn if you have any questions.

I don’t think there is any such thing because legally, it usually doesn’t matter.

If I’m acting for an employer then I would always advise not to notify in advance so nobody has chance to concoct a story.

But I wouldn’t even raise it as an issue on behalf of an employee unless there were extenuating circumstances.

I would say though that if you haven’t done anything wrong then it’s not worth worrying over. You are probably just a witness!

Hope the meeting went well today, OP!

Hoping you're ok. 💕. I'm sure you've been stressed up to the back teeth

Hope you’re doing well @Sparklybutold

I've been through a rough time of having a disciplinary raising a grievance which was upheld on appeal. I'm my trade union workplace rep but my branch rep was absolutely fantastic and supported me all the way along. Just wanted to wish you luck as these things are so stressful.

Awe ladies - how utterly lovely. In a nutshell - it was informal, HR sent the wrong form. The two people holding the meeting were apologetic and lovely. It was a grievance against me but nothing more than the consequence of 2 clashing personalities. I felt reassured that it won't go beyond the informal today.