Grievance Policy

Policy Statement
The Vale of Grwyney Community Council is committed to providing a supportive and fair working environment for all its employees. This policy sets out a clear procedure for employees to raise concerns relating to their employment. All grievances will be dealt with in a fair, confidential, and timely manner, in line with the ACAS Code of Practice on Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures. 

  1. Scope

           This policy applies to all employees of the Vale of Grwyney Community Council.  It covers workplace concerns, such as:

  • Terms and conditions of employment
  • Working environment or relationships (including bullying or harassment)
  • Health and safety issues
  • Discrimination
  • New working practices 

This policy does not cover issues that fall under other procedures, such as:

  • Complaints about a councillor’s conduct (handled by the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales)
  • Disciplinary matters (handled under the council’s Disciplinary Policy)
  • Complaints from members of the public (handled under the council’s Complaints Procedure) 

3.         Principles

  • Encourage informal resolution: Issues should ideally be resolved informally at the earliest stage possible.
  • Confidentiality: All parties are expected to maintain confidentiality throughout the process.
  • Right to be accompanied: An employee has the right to be accompanied by a work colleague or trade union representative at any formal meeting.
  • Impartiality: All parties involved in the process will remain impartial. Councillors with direct involvement will not be part of any formal panel.
  • No recrimination: Employees will not be penalised for raising a genuine grievance. However, malicious or vexatious complaints may be dealt with under the Disciplinary Policy. 

4.         The procedure

Stage 1: Informal resolution

  • An employee should first try to resolve the issue informally with the Chair of the Council of the Deputy Chair.
  • The person receiving the grievance will listen to the concerns and try to resolve them through discussion and, if appropriate, mediation.
  • The employee will normally receive an informal response within 5 working days. 

Stage 2: Formal grievance

  • If the issue is not resolved informally, the employee can submit a formal grievance in writing.
  • The written grievance should be submitted to the Chair of the Council, or if the grievance is about the Chair of the Council to the Deputy Chair.
  • The written grievance should clearly state:
  • The nature and extent of the grievance.
  • Details of any specific incidents, including dates and times.
  • The desired outcome.
  • The council will acknowledge receipt of the written grievance within 5

                         working days. 

Stage 3: Grievance hearing

  • A Grievance Panel, consisting of at least two impartial councillors, will be appointed to hear the grievance.
  • The employee will be invited to a formal hearing, normally within 10 working days of receipt of the formal grievance.
  • The employee will be notified in writing of the meeting time and place and informed of their right to be accompanied.
  • All relevant documents will be circulated to the panel and the employee at least 2 working days before the hearing.
  • The hearing will provide an opportunity for the employee to present their case. The panel may ask questions, and witnesses may be called where appropriate.
  • The panel may adjourn the meeting if further investigation is needed. 

Stage 4: Written outcome

  • The panel will consider all evidence and inform the employee of its decision in writing, normally within 5 working days of the hearing.
  • The letter will include the panel’s decision and details of any proposed action. It will also explain the right to appeal. 

Stage 5: Appeal

  • An employee who is not satisfied with the outcome can submit a written appeal within 7 working days of receiving the decision.
  • The appeal should be addressed to the Chair of the Council (or to the Deputy Chair if the original decision involved the Chair) and state the grounds for the appeal.
  • An Appeals Panel, consisting of councillors not previously involved in the case, will be convened to hear the appeal.
  • The employee and their representative will be invited to an appeal hearing.
  • The decision of the Appeals Panel is final. 

5. Documentation and record-keeping

  • A confidential record of the formal grievance, including the written complaint, minutes of meetings, and correspondence, will be kept.
  • All records will be handled in accordance with the council’s Data Protection and Document Retention policies. 

6. Review of the policy

This policy will be reviewed as required by changes in legislation or best practice.

Adopted:  20th October 2025