What are the statutory disciplinary and grievance procedures?
From 1 October 2004, statutory procedures were introduced into the workplace to encourage the resolution of dismissal, disciplinary and grievance disputes. These have widely been regarded as a failure but for the meantime they remain in force and must be followed. Failure to do so can spell disaster for both employers and employees. Disciplinary procedures apply when an employer contemplates dismissing or taking ‘relevant disciplinary action’. Grievancesare defined as ‘a complaint by an employee about action which his employer has taken or is contemplating taking in relation to him’. For examples of when the procedures apply, see the questions below on checking if employers’ policies comply with the statutory minimum. The procedures are compulsory and must currently be followed by all employers and employees. They represent a minimum standard of practice which must be followed or certain adverse consequences ensue.
