Grievance help - is it worth it

[Sofedupatm]

I have a terrible boss.

She has taken a lot of credit for a really big project. She undermines and belittles me in front of others. Obviously job hunting now is difficult but she is causing a ridiculous amount of stress.

Is a grievance worth it?

Talk to her if you can or go through HR formally.
Yes the project was successful I put a lot of work into it.... Would be coming out of my mouth the next time she takes the credit

I think has gone past the point of talking to her. This was a huge project and could be a turning point in my role.

Does this fall under a grievance though? Am not sure...

Do you want the stress that raising a grievance usually brings? Often HR will support the manager. If you are seriously looking at leaving is it worth it, would raising a grievance affect any reference request? It shouldn't be like this but it often is.

I raised a grievance a few years ago, it was unbelievably stressful even though it was a definite case of discrimination. Only you know if it's worth it and if any stress is worth it.

What do you want to get out of a grievance?

Trying to get her removed when supposedly she has just delivered a successful project could be hard.

What role did you have and what praise did you hope to receive that was denied you? It would help to understand a bit more about the situation to help and advise you.

What proof of her unprofessional actions do you have? You need solid proof fof a grievance to be successful.

Sorry you are going through this.

Your company grievance policy should outline what it covers. This would not be a grievance where I work, but a dignity at work issue. (Grievance covers policies not being followed or potential issues with decision making rather than relationship or management style issues.)

What are you wanting to get out of a grievance/complaint? Highly unlikely it’s going to actually fix the issues. How about mediation?

(Senior HR professional)

hang on to your job.
any job is better than none.
look around, try to get another one, but don't do anything to put you or your position in jeopardy.
what would you live on if you lost your job. widescale job losses everywhere. don't do anything to throw yourself on scrapheap, or to make it more likely. is and ought never meet.
bosses are generally unsatisfactory. that;s life. that's work.

Thanks all. Lots of food for thought. I guess biggest impact is rating/ bonus/future career block...

A grievance can absolutely be about relationship issues or management style. A large proportion of grievances are about bullying or similar.

Whether a grievance is worth it in this instance (and in any instance really) depends on what you hope to get out of it OP. Sometimes it might be genuinely trying to achieve a change of some kind, sometimes it might be to get someone sanctioned for their behaviour, and sometimes it might be to tick a box in anticipation of a tribunal claim, on the basis that issues generally need to have been raised internally first.

It is fairly unusual for a line manager/employee relationship to successfully survive a grievance being raised by the employee against the manager. Which isn't to say don't raise one, but considering options in terms of alternative employment or alternative ways of improving things might be sensible.

A grievance can absolutely be about relationship issues or management style. A large proportion of grievances are about bullying or similar.

I didn’t say it couldn’t. I said it isn’t always the case that any complaint would come under a company’s grievance policy.

Thank you. I guess what I would like of it is to be comfortable I have a long term career and am respected and compensated for my contribution.

Would a grievance solve this?

@flowery would the best course of action to be to speak to her boss do you think? And say you are taking this route before HR? Explain my frustration and ask for advice?

@Feminist10101

A grievance can absolutely be about relationship issues or management style. A large proportion of grievances are about bullying or similar.

I didn’t say it couldn’t. I said it isn’t always the case that any complaint would come under a company’s grievance policy.

Sorry- that’s how it came across I’m afraid!

[quote Sofedupatm]@flowery would the best course of action to be to speak to her boss do you think? And say you are taking this route before HR? Explain my frustration and ask for advice?[/quote]
When you say you want to be respected and compensated for your contribution that’s quite vague. Do you mean you want your line manager to change her behaviour along those lines? If so, honestly that isn’t likely through a grievance, at least not long term. You say she’s a terrible boss and that it’s past the point of talking to her.

What action would you like her boss to take- either as a result of a grievance or an informal discussion?

I'm not sure that a grievance would be able to achieve that I'm afraid OP.

It's incredibly difficult for a grievance to be successful without lots of objective proofs of 'harms' or not following company policy.

A friend of mine raised a successful against her manager (who was forced to apologise and my friend moved to another manager) because she had objective proof in terms of emails sent about her manager harassing her about work when she was signed off sick.

In this case, would you be able to get someone else internally on your side in terms of acknowledging what you have contributed, and work on some assertiveness skills.

So the next time she belittles or undermines you, you have respond robustly?

I don't think you have the basis for a grievance to succeed.

Very often the person making the complaint is side-lined and ignored, and has to go off sick, and in the end leave.

HR are useless, except at protecting the perpetrator.

Organisations don't follow their own procedures, the process takes months if not years, senior staff are favoured, and management close ranks.

For you in this case I'd say it's not worth it.

This would not be a grievance where I work, but a dignity at work issue. (Grievance covers policies not being followed or potential issues with decision making rather than relationship or management style issues.)

@flowery I specified WHERE I WORK. 🤷🏻‍♀️

And I said that was how it came across. Obviously I misunderstood, not sure what else I can say tbh!