The duty to provide redress for grievances is implied in all contracts of employment. Your employer is obliged to have a grievance procedure in place and this must be made available to you in writing.
A grievance procedure is essentially a mechanism for the internal resolution of disputes or concerns raised by employees; contractual disputes or issues of alleged discrimination for example. Grievances may be raised either individually or collectively.
Allegations of bullying or harassment may be dealt with under a grievance procedure or under a separate procedure, specifically designed for this purpose. This may be called the ‘dignity at work’ or ‘respect’ policy. In such cases, your employer’s grievance procedure should direct you to the relevant policy.
Read more about bullying and harassment at work.
The national terms and conditions for the Community Dental Service (CDS) include specific provisions for the resolution of disputes relating to appraisal, job planning and pay progression.
On this page we cover how it may be possible to resolve the issue at hand informally at first, and who to speak to depending on the situation. We also discuss mediation before the formal grievance stage, and the many advantages that mediation can have in facilitating open communication.
We can help members at different stages of the grievance process, and our Employment Relations Officers (EROs) are there to review the details of your situation and how it fits with your employer’s grievance procedure.
Lodging a formal grievance may be appropriate if more informal methods do not resolve the issue. We set out what you need to do so that everyone is clear and the protocol is followed.
Complaints may or may not be upheld and we explain the right of appeal and how we can provide support.