Archive Website of the UK government

Appealing your employer's decision

If you are not satisfied with the decision your employer has reached on your grievance, or think the procedure was flawed, you should be able to appeal the decision.

You must make your appeal in writing without unreasonable delay. Your employer should give you enough time to appeal - the deadline for the appeal should be set out in your employer's written procedures. If they do not give any information on this, make your appeal anyway and say that you will provide more information later.

Make an effort to follow your employer's procedures. If you end up making a claim to an Employment Tribunal, it will consider this when it makes its judgment.

In your written appeal to your employer to say why you are appealing their decision, clearly explaining why you don’t agree with it. Your employer should then arrange a further meeting with you to discuss your appeal. Where possible, a different and more senior manager should deal with your appeal.

The appeal hearing is run similarly to the original meeting and you have a right to bring a companion, as before. After the appeal meeting, your employer should write to tell you their final decision.

Explore alternatives

If you are still not happy with your employer’s decision, you may want to consider other ways of resolving your grievance.

• How to resolve a problem at work

Further guidance on grievance procedures can be found in 'Discipline and grievances at work. The Acas guide'. This has been prepared by Acas (the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service) to help employers and employees:

• understand the Acas Code of Practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures
• reflect it in their procedures and behaviour

• Download 'Discipline and grievances at work. The Acas guide' (PDF, 21K) Opens new window

• Help with PDF files

Where attempts to resolve the problem by other means do not work, or are not appropriate, you could consider making a claim to an Employment Tribunal. You should be aware that Employment Tribunals will take the Acas Code into account when considering grievance cases.

• Employment Tribunals

Not following grievance principles

An Employment Tribunal will not automatically find you or your employer liable (legally at fault) if these principles are not followed. However, any unreasonable failure to follow the Code by either you or your employer could lead to an adjustment of the amount you are awarded. If an Employment Tribunal upholds your claim, your award could be adjusted by up to 25 per cent.

• Download 'Acas Code of Practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures' (PDF, 57K) Opens new window

• Help with PDF files

Protection when raising a grievance

You should not be dismissed or disadvantaged for raising a genuine grievance about one of your statutory employment rights, such as discrimination. For example, your career prospects shouldn’t be negatively affected.

The law also protects you from losing your job and/or being victimised if you are making a disclosure in the public interest or 'blowing the whistle'.

• Protection of whistleblowers

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland has its own dispute resolution procedures. You can find out more about these from the nidirect website.

• nidirect - Employment Opens new window

Where to get help

Acas offers free, confidential and impartial advice on all employment rights issues.

• Acas (Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service)

Your local Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) can provide free and impartial advice. You can find your local CAB office in the phone book or online.

• Find your local Citizens Advice Bureau Opens new window

If you are a member of a trade union you can get help, advice and support from them.

• Trade unions