How to Write a Formal Grievance Letter to Your Employer UK: A Step-by-Step Guide

If something has gone wrong at work, writing it down formally is one of the most important steps you can take. A formal grievance letter creates a documented record, triggers your employer's legal obligation to investigate, and protects your position if the situation escalates to an employment tribunal.

Most employees who are treated unfairly at work never raise a formal grievance. They hope the situation will resolve itself, worry about the consequences of complaining, or do not know how to put their concerns in writing in a way that will be taken seriously. This guide addresses all three of those problems.

It explains what a grievance letter is, when to use it, how to structure it properly, what to include and what to leave out, and what happens after you send it. It includes a complete worked example you can adapt for your own situation.

What Is a Formal Grievance and When Should You Use It?

A formal grievance is an official written complaint made to your employer about a workplace issue. Under the Acas Code of Practice on Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures, employers are expected to deal with grievances fairly and promptly. The code is not legally binding, but employment tribunals must take it into account when assessing how a dispute was handled. An employer who fails to follow it may face an uplift of up to 25 percent on any tribunal award.

You might raise a formal grievance in situations including bullying or harassment by a manager or colleague, discrimination on the grounds of a protected characteristic such as disability, sex, race or age, unfair treatment following a period of sickness or maternity leave, a change to your terms and conditions without agreement, failure to pay wages correctly, being denied a contractual entitlement, or being subjected to an unsafe or hostile working environment.

You should raise a formal grievance only after informal attempts to resolve the issue have either been made and failed, or are clearly inappropriate given the nature of the complaint. In cases involving harassment, discrimination or serious misconduct by a manager, going straight to a formal grievance is often the right approach.

Note: Write it down. A verbal complaint can be dismissed or misremembered. A written grievance letter cannot.

Before You Write: What to Prepare

A grievance letter is strongest when it is built on documented evidence rather than memory and emotion. Before you write anything, gather everything that supports your account.

This includes dates and times of specific incidents, emails, messages or written communications that evidence the problem, names of witnesses who observed relevant events, any notes or records you have kept of conversations, your contract of employment and any relevant policies the employer may have breached, and medical evidence if your health has been affected.

If you have not kept a record of events so far, start one now. A chronological log of incidents with dates, what was said or done, who was present and what effect it had on you is one of the most useful documents you can bring to a grievance process.

Tip: Before you submit, check whether your employer has a grievance policy. It will usually be in your employee handbook or on an internal intranet. Following the employer's own process strengthens your position if things escalate.

Your Right to Be Accompanied

Under Section 10 of the Employment Relations Act 1999, you have the legal right to be accompanied to a formal grievance meeting by a trade union representative or a work colleague. This right applies regardless of how long you have worked for your employer. You can also be accompanied by a trade union official who is certified to act in this capacity even if they do not work for the same employer.

You do not have a legal right to be accompanied by a family member, friend or solicitor at this stage, though some employers will allow this. If you want someone other than a colleague or union rep, ask the employer in advance. They may agree.

The Structure of a Formal Grievance Letter

A grievance letter should be clear, factual and focused on the specific issues you are raising. It does not need to be long. What it needs to be is specific, chronological and evidenced. Here is how to structure it.

Your Details and the Date

Include your full name, job title, department and contact details at the top. Add the date. If you know the name of the HR manager or the specific person the letter should go to, address it to them directly.

Opening: State That This Is a Formal Grievance

The first sentence must be unambiguous. Use the words ‘formal grievance’ explicitly. This matters because it determines how the letter is logged and processed, and it triggers the employer's duty to follow the grievance procedure.

Example: I am writing to raise a formal grievance regarding [brief description of the issue] which I will set out below.

Background and Chronology

Set out the facts in chronological order. Be specific about dates, times, locations, what was said or done, and who was present. Avoid emotional language in this section. The facts, presented clearly and in sequence, are more persuasive than descriptions of how the events made you feel.

If there are multiple incidents, number them or address each one separately. Do not bundle everything together in a single dense paragraph.

The Specific Grounds for Your Grievance

After setting out the background, state clearly and specifically what the employer or individual has done wrong. Reference your employment contract, company policies or legislation where relevant. If you are alleging discrimination, name the protected characteristic and explain how the treatment you received was connected to it. If you are alleging a breach of contract, identify the specific term that has been breached.

Example: I believe this treatment constitutes harassment on the grounds of disability contrary to Section 26 of the Equality Act 2010, and a breach of the company’s own Dignity at Work policy.

The Impact on You

Describe how the situation has affected you. This includes the effect on your work, your health, your confidence and your day-to-day experience at work. If your GP has been involved or you have taken sickness absence as a result, say so. Concrete descriptions of impact are more persuasive than general statements of distress.

What You Are Asking For

End with a clear, specific request. This might be an apology, an investigation into the behaviour of a named individual, a change to your working arrangements, the reinstatement of a contractual entitlement, or corrective action against the person responsible. The clearer your request, the harder it is for the employer to provide a response that does not address it.

Closing

Note that you expect the employer to acknowledge the grievance and arrange a hearing within a reasonable timeframe. State that you are available to provide further information or documentation if required.

A Complete Worked Example

The letter below is a worked example raising a grievance about bullying behaviour by a manager. Adapt the details for your own situation.

[Your name]

[Your job title and department]

[Your contact details]

[Date]

[HR Manager name or ‘The HR Department’]

[Company name and address]

Subject: Formal Grievance – Bullying and Harassment by [Manager Name]

Dear [Name],

I am writing to raise a formal grievance regarding the conduct of [Manager Name], [Manager Job Title], which I will set out below. I am raising this matter formally having been unable to resolve it informally.

Background

On [date], during a team meeting in the [location], [Manager Name] criticised my work in front of the full team in a manner that was disproportionate and humiliating. Specifically, he stated that my report was ‘embarrassingly poor’ and that I ‘clearly had no idea what I was doing.’ This was witnessed by [colleague names if willing to be named, or ‘several colleagues’]. I was visibly distressed and left the meeting early.

On [date], [Manager Name] excluded me from a project meeting I would normally attend. When I queried this by email (copy attached as Exhibit A), I received no response. I subsequently discovered from a colleague that I had been described as ‘unreliable’ to the project team, a characterisation I dispute entirely.

On [date], [Manager Name] publicly reprimanded me via the team message channel for an error that had in fact been made by another team member. I have retained a screenshot of this exchange, which I can provide.

Grounds for grievance

I believe the conduct described above constitutes bullying and harassment under the company’s Dignity at Work policy, a copy of which I have reviewed. The behaviour has been repeated, has occurred in front of colleagues, and has had a significant adverse effect on my wellbeing and my ability to carry out my role effectively.

Impact

Since these incidents I have experienced significant anxiety and have had difficulty sleeping. I visited my GP on [date], who has recommended a period of stress management and has noted the work-related cause. I have also noticed a reduction in my confidence in team settings that was not previously present. I have not yet taken sickness absence but I am concerned about my ability to continue in this environment without the situation being addressed.

What I am requesting

I am requesting that the company investigates this complaint fully, that [Manager Name]’s conduct is formally addressed, and that steps are taken to ensure I am not subjected to further behaviour of this kind. I am also requesting that, pending the outcome of the investigation, consideration is given to whether interim measures such as a change to reporting arrangements may be appropriate to protect my wellbeing while the investigation is underway.

I expect the company to acknowledge this grievance and arrange a hearing within a reasonable timeframe in accordance with the Acas Code of Practice. I am happy to provide any further documentation or information that may assist the investigation.

Yours sincerely,[Your name][Signature]

What Happens After You Submit the Grievance

Under the Acas Code of Practice, your employer should acknowledge your grievance promptly and invite you to a meeting to discuss it. They must give you reasonable notice of the meeting and confirm your right to be accompanied. The meeting should be conducted by someone senior enough to make decisions, and ideally someone not directly involved in the grievance. After the meeting, the employer should investigate the matter and write to you with their decision. You have the right to appeal if you are not satisfied with the outcome. Full details of the expected process are set out in the Acas guide to discipline and grievances at work.

If your employer fails to deal with the grievance properly, delays unreasonably, or takes no action, you can raise a complaint with Acas and, if necessary, take the matter to an employment tribunal. Having a written grievance on record is essential to that process. It establishes that you raised the issue formally, what you raised, and when.

Constructive Dismissal: When a Grievance Is Especially Important

If the situation at work has become so serious that you are considering resigning, raising a formal grievance first may be critical to any future constructive dismissal claim. Constructive dismissal occurs when an employer’s conduct is so serious that it fundamentally breaches your employment contract, forcing you to resign. To bring a constructive dismissal claim at tribunal, you generally need to have been employed for at least two years, and you must not have delayed unreasonably in resigning after the breach. Raising a formal grievance before resigning demonstrates that you attempted to resolve the matter internally. Failing to do so can weaken a claim significantly. Acas’s guidance on constructive dismissal explains the conditions and the process in detail.

Important: If you are considering resignation on constructive dismissal grounds, get specialist advice before you do so. The timing and the content of your grievance letter can both significantly affect the strength of any future claim.

Common Mistakes That Weaken Grievance Letters

• Writing emotionally rather than factually. Descriptions of how unfair or upsetting the situation was are less persuasive than a clear account of what happened, when, who was present and what was said.

• Being vague about dates and incidents. A grievance that says ‘my manager has been bullying me for months’ is much harder to investigate than one that names specific incidents with dates, locations and witnesses.

• Not stating what you want. Many grievance letters describe the problem without asking for a specific outcome. Give the employer something concrete to act on.

• Raising too many issues at once. If you have multiple grievances that are unrelated, consider whether raising them separately would be more effective. A letter covering ten different complaints can be harder to investigate and easier for employers to treat as a general expression of dissatisfaction.

• Threatening legal action in the letter. Save any reference to tribunal for if the grievance process fails. Threatening legal action in the opening letter can make the employer defensive and less likely to engage constructively.

• Sending it to the wrong person. If your grievance is about your direct manager, send it to HR or your manager’s manager. Sending it to the person you are complaining about is both unhelpful and likely to make the situation worse.

Getting Help With Your Grievance

Free advice on workplace grievances is available from Acas, whose helpline (0300 123 1100) provides confidential guidance on your rights and options. If you are a member of a trade union, your union can provide representation and support throughout the grievance process. For more complex situations involving discrimination or potential tribunal claims, Citizens Advice can advise on whether your situation warrants specialist legal support.

If you want help drafting a grievance letter that is clearly structured, precisely worded and addresses the right legal grounds from the outset, the team at LetterLab can help you get it right before you send it. A well-written grievance letter sets the tone for everything that follows.

Checklist: Before You Send Your Grievance Letter

1. Does the letter use the words ‘formal grievance’ in the opening sentence?

2. Is the background set out in chronological order with specific dates, times and locations?

3. Have you identified the specific grounds for the grievance, referencing any relevant policies, contract terms or legislation?

4. Have you described the impact on you in concrete, factual terms?

5. Have you stated clearly what outcome you are requesting?

6. Is the letter addressed to HR or an appropriate senior manager, not to the person you are complaining about?

7. Have you attached or referenced any supporting evidence such as emails or a log of incidents?

8. Have you mentioned your right to be accompanied at the grievance meeting?

9. Have you kept a copy of the letter and noted the date you sent it?

10. If resignation is being considered, have you sought advice before sending?

The Key Takeaway: Written, Specific and Sent

A formal grievance letter is not an act of aggression. It is the appropriate use of a process that exists to give employees a fair hearing when something at work has gone wrong. The process is designed to be used, and employers who fail to engage with it properly face consequences at tribunal.

The grievances that get taken seriously, investigated properly and resolved are the ones that arrive in writing, describe specific incidents with dates and detail, reference the grounds clearly and ask for a specific outcome. Vague complaints are easy to dismiss. Specific, evidenced, formally submitted grievances are not.

Write it down. Send it to the right person. Keep a copy. Then give the process a chance to work.