My first formal grievance

[exploringshakes]

I've just submitted my first formal grievance and I feel sick. It's for pregnancy discrimination and the whole stress of what I have experienced and having the courage to start this process up until this point has made me so unwell.

It's been acknowledged and now I'm just waiting in limbo for the next steps.

I am hoping for a positive outcome so I know my future and my baby's future is going to be ok.

Has anyone else been through this?

What have you experienced as it's hard to comment on this?

@workoholic I want to know if someone has experienced submitting a grievance for pregnancy discrimination. Sorry, I thought that was clear.

That bit is clear - but it depends on what you are claiming is the issue here? What is the purpose of the pregnancy discrimination?

It's hard to assess how well it will go without knowing the rationale for it in the first place?

But the OP isn't asking anyone to assess this? She's asking for other people's experiences. OP, I haven't been through this but I wish you luck.

@workoholic I'm being vague purposely. I don't want to reveal specific details that would be incredibly outing to my situation.

@Tarmacadamia thank you for understanding and your well wishes.

I don’t know anyone who has done this, but have you contacted pregnant and screwed for advice?

@Swirlymist yes they've been very helpful and the information given is what supported my claims to submit this.

That sounds positive then if they have advised you to go ahead. Good luck, hope you get a good result.

@Swirlymist thank you, fingers crossed!

Everyone's story is different though, so knowing someone else got a good result doesn't help?

@workoholic if they shared their specifics and it resonates with mine, then yes it does help.

At this stage whilst it's an open grievance, I don't want to share specific details.

@exploringshakes in my opinion unless your company's on the larger side and has a HR department in depend of your manager.

When you raise a grievance you do tend to be classed as "trouble maker" and depending on how the company is structured they might just be rallying the wagons so to speak. Grievances are incredibly hard on the person raising them. Also be mindful of it you have to take the company to ET of your timescales to submit this. Acas is very good too for advice.

There's some decent advice on this website www.formalgrievance.com it's a pretty poor website but has a lot of info you might find helpful.

Good luck and keep strong

I've just been through the grievance process , it's very stressful and usually the last thing you need after the treatment you've received . However I'm so glad I did it , so glad I stood up for what's right . I don't know your circumstance's but keep going , following the process and keep a diary of all communication , evidence . It takes a brave person to stand up and do this, many don't. also imagine if you did nothing how would you feel ? Good luck

Grievance can be an excellent way of solving a dispute it’s procedural and documented

but it all depends on the content of the grievance and the validity of it
just follow professional advice not ill informed people who will just tell you what you want to hear

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Also seek union support if you are in one , copy them in emails etc . Unions are invaluable here as it's a lonely process

Someone I manage submitted a grievance relating to pregnancy discrimination. As their line manager I supported it because, although not an employment lawyer or HR professional I could see they were raising a valid issue relating to application of the law and policy re leave and we hadn’t been able to get a clear answer. It wasn’t anything that I as I line manager could do anything about beyond raising the same question on their behalf and getting the same one line answers from HR.

It was fairly stress free although the employee was nervous about doing it. They didn’t succeed but they did get a proper explanation from a lawyer about why the company felt they were correct which they ultimately accepted (and which had been lacking until there was a formal grievance) Employee still there - has been promoted twice since.