The Union takes employees' grievances seriously and encourages all employees to raise their concerns at an early stage so that they may be resolved swiftly. In many cases, it will be possible to resolve such issues informally, by talking them up with your line manager.
If you wish to raise a grievance on a more formal basis, you should follow the Union's formal grievance procedure. This procedure has been designed to deal with most concerns about your work, including where you become aware of any wrongdoing within the Union which gives rise to a personal grievance. These procedures are not legally binding and do not form part of your contract of employment.
Grievance Procedure
The Union wishes to ensure that all of its employees are treated fairly. If you have problems or concerns about your work, working environment or working relationships the Union wishes to see these problems resolved before they develop into more serious situations.
Step 1 – Informal discussion
Step 2 - Put your grievance in writing
Step 3 – Grievance meeting
Step 4 - Investigation
Step 5 – Grievance outcome
Step 6 – Appeal
If you have any grievance in relation to your employment, you should raise it informally with your line manager. If your grievance is about your line manager, you can raise the grievance informally with his/her line manager. If the grievance is about the Chief Executive as your line manager, the grievance will need to be made to the Supervising Trustee of the Trustee Board.
If the matter is unable to be settled within 5 working days (where practical) then the following procedure will apply.
Formal grievance
Put the grievance in writing and send it to your line manager. If your grievance is about your line manager, send it to their manager. If the grievance is about the CEO or an Officer Trustee, send it to the Supervising Trustee.
Your line manager (or senior manager or Supervising Trustee) will arrange a formal meeting in order to discuss the grievance. You have the right to be accompanied at this meeting by a work colleague or a trade union representative. Your line manager (or senior manager or Supervising Trustee) will investigate and then write to you with a response to your grievance within 10 working days (where practical) of the hearing. If you are not satisfied that the matter has been adequately resolved, or if your line manager (or senior manager or Supervising Trustee) fails to deal with your written grievance, then you can appeal.
Appeal
If you feel that your grievance has not been resolved at Stage 1 of the procedure, you should appeal in writing to the next most senior manager. (If the grievance is about the CEO or the Supervising Trustee, send it to the Chair of the Trustee Board.) The senior manager (or an authorised deputy of Chair of the Trustee Board) will arrange a formal meeting to hear your appeal.
You have the right to be accompanied at this meeting by a work colleague or a trade union representative. The meeting will be held within five working days (where practical) of the senior manager receiving your appeal. The senior manager (or an authorised deputy of the Chair of the Trustee Board) will write to you within 5 working days (where practical) of the meeting with their response to your appeal. If it is not possible to contact you with a response within that time, you will be given an explanation for the delay and will be informed when a response can be expected.
Confidentiality Statement
Confidentiality is an important part of the procedures provided under this policy. Everyone involved in the operation of the policy, whether making a complaint or involved in any investigation, is responsible for observing the high level of confidentiality that is required. Breach of confidentiality may give rise to disciplinary action under our Disciplinary Procedure.