Grievance Procedure

Bristol Wireless Grievance Procedure

1. Definition

A grievance is another word for a complaint, which arises out of the course of employment or volunteering. An employee or volunteer may have a feeling of injustice or resentment or may feel they have been unfairly or unreasonably treated. It is impossible to provide a comprehensive list of all the issues that might give rise to a grievance but some of the more common include: terms and conditions; health and safety; relationships at work; new working practices; organisational change and equal opportunities.

A grievance may be raised in connection with any aspect of employment or volunteering, except where the matter constitutes an appeal against a disciplinary decision, which should be taken up in accordance with the separate disciplinary procedure.

This procedure is for use of all Bristol Wireless employees and volunteers. The aim is to maintain good working relations and to encourag free communication between employees, volunteers, their colleagues and the Management Committee. The procedure also aims to obtain a speedy resolution to any issues arising.

2. Introduction

2.1 All employees and volunteers have the right to seek resolution for a grievance. In the first instance any grievance should be brought to the attention of any serving member of the Management Committee.

2.2 This procedure is intended to ensure that any employee or volunteer who has a grievance can obtain a speedy response to the issue, an explanation as to why the circumstances giving rise to the grievance exist and a resolution of the matter at the earliest possible opportunity, with a right of appeal to the full Management Committee if necessary.

The Procedure is concerned with all matters related to employment and volunteering and applies both to staff in the employment of and to those volunteering for Bristol Wireless.

3. The Role of the Management Committee

Any member of the Management Committee will facilitate such hearings as are deemed necessary. In all cases details of the grievance and the outcome will be notified to the full Management Committee for their information.

4. Victimisation

During or after the grievance proceedings, no party to the grievance should face any form of victimisation or retaliation. This would be unacceptable behaviour and would constitute a disciplinary matter.

A record of the grievance, the associated hearings and the outcome will be kept on file.

5. Representation and Advice

5.1 An employee or volunteer has the right to be accompanied by a representative of his/her choice at any meetings/hearings and should be encouraged to do so. This right applies at all stages of the Procedure.

5.2 Should a representative take up the grievance on behalf of the aggrieved person, that person must still attend all hearings of the grievance, so that those conducting the hearing may discuss the details of the case directly.

6. Procedure for Settling Differences

6.1 Informal Stage

Normally any problems which arise on an occasional basis should be resolved without recourse to the full Grievance Procedure. Most routine complaints are best resolved informally through discussion with a member of the Management Committee. It is important that the person who is subject to a grievance should be aware that a problem has arisen and should have the opportunity of discussing this informally, prior to the formal grievance procedure being invoked. It would be helpful, but is not required, for the Management Committee and aggrieved person to keep an agreed note of any discussion of the informal grievance.

If it is not possible to resolve the matter informally, then the following stages in the formal Procedure shall apply.

6.2 Stage 1

The aggrieved person should raise the matter, in writing, with any member of the Management Committee of their choosing. If the grievance concerns the behaviour of a member of the Management Committee, then the matter should be raised with another member of the Management Committee. Any committee member who is approached with a grievance may, due to reasons of unavailability or unwillingness, or if they believe it to be in the best interests of the aggrieved person, arrange for the matter to be dealt with by any other committee member; provided that member is not the subject of the grievance.

That committee member will then arrange a formal meeting with the aggrieved person, normally within 7 days, in order to hear the circumstances surrounding the grievance.

An employee or volunteer who does not wish to make this approach alone has the right to be accompanied by a representative.

The decision of the committee member hearing the grievance will be confirmed in writing, normally within 7 days. If it is not possible to respond within 7 days the aggrieved person will be given an explanation for the delay and told when a response can be expected. The aggrieved person will also be informed that they have 2 weeks in which to take the matter to the next stage in the procedure should they not be satisfied with the outcome.

6.2 Stage 2

If a solution cannot be reached at Stage 1, details of the grievance and records of the Stage 1 hearing will be sent to the Chair of the Management Committee, who will discuss the case with the member of the committee who heard the grievance at Stage 1. The Chair will then appoint two or more members of the Management Committee other than him or herself (the 'grievance hearing panel'), who have not have been involved in the case at an earlier stage, to hear the grievance.

The grievance hearing panel will arrange for the hearing to take place as quickly as possible, normally within 14 days of receipt of the grievance. The aggrieved person will be informed of his/her statutory right to be accompanied by a representative. The hearing will be chaired either by the Chair of the Management Committee or by his/her delegate or deputy.

The conclusion of the grievance hearing panel, and any actions arising, will be conveyed to the aggrieved person in writing, normally within 7 days of the hearing. If it is not possible to respond within 7 days the aggrieved person will be given an explanation for the delay and told when a response can be expected. The decision of the committee members appointed to hear the grievance at stage 2 will be final.

7. Procedure for Settling Collective Grievances

Where a grievance is held by a number of employees or volunteers, they should agree which of their number should represent them at the hearing/s. A maximum of two persons may be present with, if required, one representative of their choice. The procedure outlined in Section 6 should then be followed.

8 Additional Notes to the Procedure

8.1 Arrangements for hearings will be made in conjunction with the persons raising the grievance and the hearing will normally take place within the time limit specified in the procedure.

8.2 The aggrieved person(s) should be given reasonable notice of the arrangements for the hearing.

8.3 If the aggrieved person(s) raising the grievance fail to attend the meeting without good reason, the committee member(s) conducting the hearing will consider the details available at the time and may reach a decision in the aggrieved person(s) absence.

8.4 There is no set procedure for the conduct of hearings. The person chairing the hearing panel must ensure the aggrieved person(s) is given a proper opportunity to have the grievance heard, and that where the grievance relates to the behaviour of a specific individual that person is given a chance to respond.

8.5 A committee member hearing a Stage 1 grievance is responsible for ensuring notes are taken, that these notes remain confidential to the Management Committee and that they are passed to the Chair of the Management Committee at the earliest opportunity.