Grievance letter template

Usually your manager, or theirs if the grievance is about them.

Dates, what was said or done, and who was present. Stick to facts.

On your work, or on you.

Be specific. A grievance without a requested outcome is harder to resolve.

The letter

Nothing you type is stored or sent anywhere. Fill it in, take the text, close the page.

What happens next

  • Your employer should hold a meeting without unreasonable delay and tell you the outcome in writing, with a right of appeal.
  • You have a statutory right to be accompanied at the meeting by a colleague or trade union representative.
  • A tribunal can adjust an award by up to 25% either way where the Acas Code was not followed, so the written record matters.

This letter rests on Acas Code of Practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures. It is a starting point, not legal advice — change anything that does not fit your situation.

Nathan Cole

I write the guides on HoursHQ and check every statutory figure against GOV.UK, Acas and the legislation itself before it goes live. Where the law is genuinely unclear, I say so rather than guessing.