Grievance at work

[HR313]

Long story short - my line manager has been effectively bullying me since 2020. It’s got to a point where I can’t take it any more and have shared my concerns with the manager above her. This manager has strongly advised I put in a grievance but I’m apprehensive and scared about the process. The manager alluded that they would along with the company support me through this. The manager I am doing this against also had a complaint made against them in 2021 but I am unsure of the details. I don’t know what I’m asking but am I doing the right thing by putting in a grievance? I can’t imagine my manager will change. I’ve also been searching for other jobs as I have been so unhappy.

Grievance is just a process that HR use when you bring forward a claim. HR are actually there to look after the establishment not pick your side.

You will need substantial clear evidence, it cannot be just “she says/he says”. Without that the process will start and it will end as a process. Nothing will happen.

The best thing to do, always, is to find a new job. I never understand why people stay and go through such waste of time processes.

That’s why I want to leave. I just can’t be dealing with it. My manager is awful but nothing will change her behaviour. It’ll only make things worse/more awkward in the long run.

By the way, they will always say they will support you and the same is said to the other side.
Every manager wants to be “supportive”.

Get out and move on.

This sounds like a can of worms. If the more senior manager feels there is an issue with your line manager they should be dealing with it and not involving you in these shenanigans. It is possible you could be hung out to dry in all this and it will be far more stressful anyway for you than the senior manager. I bow to more experienced posters on this one but my view would be to keep your head down and keep going until you find another job. In the meantime keep documenting everything just in case.

That’s my concern. It’ll also be my word against hers. A colleague of mine has been off sick for a few weeks due to my manager being unsupportive although my colleague hasn’t been told to raise a grievance. So I am now beginning to wonder if this is all the big plan - for me to go in with a grievance only to be ‘hung out to dry’. I don’t know what to think anymore.

I would not worry about the grievance OP, waste of time, stress and second guessing. Vast majority are unsuccessful. It’s a tick box to attempt to resolve a conflict.
Stay low and off radar, wfh more if you can and dream about the next job

I would advise to keep your head down, get on with it, take the pay until you find another position. HR protect the business not you or the other person

The manager who I spoke to said they had to have a discussion with HR and they’ve suggested to go straight to a grievance rather than informal meeting. I’d prefer an informal meeting and my name wouldn’t be shared, but it would be pretty obvious it was me as we are such a small team. The manager kept saying to me ‘not to pressurise you into anything but if you can put down in writing your grievance by early next week’ has got me feeling on edge.

Take the pressure off and drop the idea of grevience. The only way you can actually do something about her is if you have deep enough pockets for your own representation.

Lie low and plan your exit

I think from the responses on here I won’t put in a grievance but why would the manager say something like that? Don’t think they are pushing me to do it so they can hang me out to dry?

Tell them you've reflected after the meeting with senior manager and you'd rather that they dealt with any issues they feel exist in the team, with the added information you provided, without you having to go through the stress of a grievance procedure. Say you would rather just focus on doing a good job for the company.

Mentally leave this workplace behind and focus on getting out

They can't help you unless you do it properly
They probably can't stand your boss either and want to get rid

I'm assuming you are referring to her manager.

If that's the case, I would be asking that manager why if they agree that there is an issue so big that they are recommending a grievance, what have they done to address it already and why do they think it can be addressed by them without this course of action. (I might even do this in print).

I have been senior to people and picked up on things within our team where one person was regularly rude and bullying towards other members of the team. Not one person from the team came to me, however I picked this up over a period of time and discussed with the said person in an informal manner. I would be questioning why your managers senior has not picked up on this and if they have why have they not broached the subject

I have also seen but not been apart of where people have raised grievances but then been used as a sort of scapegoat

my line manager has been effectively bullying me since 2020

let's take this to its extreme @HR313 - supposing you took this statement into your grievance, you described all the occasions since 2020 where your line manager has bullied you, made you feel threatened, vulnerable, demeaned etc (whatever she did).

You need to consider what outcome you need from submitting the grievance.

Unless you can give some cast-iron case of discrimination, for example that she treated you less favourably than male colleagues, there is no case for Tribunal. So what then? She will never capitulate and apologise or admit her wrong doing. You can only rely on your company's internal policy around bullying. In my experience these are very woolly and ineffectual with no repercussions on the bully other than a behind-closed-doors conversation (at worst).

And if it were to go to Tribunal, they would argue "why did you put up with this for 4 years?"

so your best option is find a new job, try to leave with the ability to get a bland reference from them if your new employer wants one, and look forward to a better future from this toxic manager.

Honestly @HR313 dont give this headspace, it really doesn't matter why they suggested you submit a grievance. There is no benefit in you doing that, the manager will never apologise and may well go back to being just as unpleasant as before after the dust has settled. They are toxic and unpleasant. You cannot change them, you can only change your response to them.

I’d say it sounds like management and HR want rid of the person, they can’t do this without a grievance?
I had this at work, we knew a manager was bullying people but everyone was always too scared of his to say anything. X2 new starters eventually spoke up, agreed to do a grievance, once I got their statements, I had another 5 willing to speak up!
The manager was sacked after 32 years with our company.
He was a nasty bully, and we’re sure a their too, I had great pleasure in escorting them out the premises.

So I’d say, please do speak up. Be honest and factual. Dates, times, locations, witnesses and quoting word for word what’s said really helps. Keep a note of things.

If you don't want to raise a grievance then don't. Just say you've made them aware of the issues and are planning on leaving.

Then leave

Appalling advice.
Ask the manager who suggested you raise a grievance to show the company grievance policy. Read it then request a meeting with that manager to talk you through the process and recent outcomes.
If you’re a member of a union notify them and ask for their support, if they can’t help they’ll at least be able to talk through the process with you. And or ACAS.

The manager can’t deal with it formally unless a grievance is offered. The senior manager isn’t the ops friend. Someone she can go running to. Now she’s complained it needs to be dealt with. So the manager is right, due to the seriousness of the ops allegations. I would do the same. If someone said they’d been bullied for years I’d not be going the informal chat route. It won’t resolve it.

so they need to formally manage this. Op, I’m afraid you should not have escalated this if you don’t wish to follow through, and just fancy an informal chat. You didn’t need senior management for that.

if I was you , do the grievance.

I was under the impression that it had to be serious gross misconduct before being given the sack. My manager is a bully but I don’t think that’s grounds for outright dismissal sadly.

It is the truth.
In my work that is the overwhelming history I have seen.

If the Senior Manager has concerns about your Managers behaviour (enough to tell you to go straight to grievance) why isn't she performance managing her herself?
Be careful as sounds like they want you to do their dirty work.
I've seen it many times where Managers offer support then are all to quick to back off and throw people under the bus if it starts to get nasty.