Grievance procedure.

[Miljah]

If you lodge a grievance procedure in the NHS, do you have to have an objective in mind? Like 'a payout'/ 'an apology'?

Person concerned, 8A has sent a long letter to a 8C manager complaining about the 8B manager's bullying and harassment, which I believe is justified. But it's 'a complaint', not posed as 'a grievance', which it most certainly is!

But her submission doesn't really say 'I want all this investigated and resolved', let alone in 'this' or 'that' way.

I don't think the union is involved right now but it will be. I just don't want her to burn bridges before she knows 'the form'. She does now have access to the organisation's Grievance procedure.

How would you advise?

In our Trust the respect at work policy suggests going through informal means and if not resolved then up to the individual to raise a grievance as per grievance policy should they want to. I don't think it is necessary to have an outcome in mind. It's not always possible.

Thanks, Sultana.

I suspect this has gone beyond 'informal' already!

I know this may not be that helpful but I was being bullied/harassed and a grievance could stop that behaviour and calm things down until the real issues are discovered eg discrimination

No, you don't need to have an outcome in mind, it's not up to the person raising the grievance to decide on the resolution/punishment. Particularly since some people might have vastly unrealistic ideas of what a solution would look like (I want X sacked for this minor transgression) etc.

I think it does really help to be able to articulate why you are putting in the grievance, not necessarily 'to get a payout' or 'to get X sacked' as these are probably unrealistic anyway (!) but something like 'I want X's behaviour to change in Y ways so we can work together better' is fine.

In the circumstances you describe of a written complaint being made by one member of staff about another, even if not framed as a grievance, action will be taken. Most probably the complainer will be contacted by HR and/or by the 8C manager, asking what they want to happen, i.e. do they want there to be a formal grievance process with an investigation, do they want informal resolution or something in the middle like mediation. The complainer doesn't have to have an answer to the question but if they don't say 'a formal grievance please' it is highly likely that only informal action will result - unless the behaviour complained about is so serious (e.g. threats of violence or fraud) that it merits an investigation on its own mertis as an unsubstantiated/hearsay allegation and without a formal complaint being made - most things that are purely about relationships between colleagues don't meet this threshold in the eyes of the NHS (whether that is right or not you can debate another day).

I think your colleague really ought to take some advice from the union on the best course of action here as if informal action isn't going to work (remember informal action can include support from managers and colleagues, mediation etc, it doesn't just mean being left to deal with the situation on her own) then she probably does need to brace herself for the full grievance process. If she doesn't want to do that (which would be understandable, it is often a long and stressful thing), I would question the point of writing the letter in the first place as it risks being seen as, at best, simply having a moan and at worst, making malicious accusations against her colleague that she isn't prepared to stand by in a formal process?

Sorry I would add that the fact she's already sent the letter to the manager doesn't mean its too late to go down the informal route if that's what she wants - she might feel better simply for having written down all her complaints and had her feelings 'heard' even if nothing more is done with it - I am a mediator and often people in conflict do simply need to vent and express themselves and that on its own can help, even if the other person doesn't really acknowledge or agree with them.

I'm not saying I would advise someone to do this as a written statement of everything you don't like about your colleague can be a terrible weapon in the hands of the wrong person and make things much worse if shared with the person you are complaining about, plus it puts the person you send it to in a very awkward position, but all is not necessarily lost!

Thank you for your replies, that's really useful.

I think that now the 8A is awaiting a reply from the 8C. Things are rather complicated by the possibility, mere rumour at this point, that the 8C and the 8B are possibly in 'a relationship'..... "It's complicated" alright!

I think the 8A, the 'victim' shall we say, is prepared to 'go formal' but it will be interesting to see if mediation is offered. Since the events of which she wrote, I think the accused 8B has, via the anonymous 'whistle blower' hotline to top management, been 'spoken to' about aspects of her management style so it is possible she may back down and possibly apologise.