1. INTRODUCTION

1.1. This procedure applies to all employees and Councillors of the Parish Council.

1.2. The objectives of the procedure are: -

• To foster good relationships between the Council and its employees by discouraging the harbouring of grievances.
• To settle grievances as near as possible to their point of origin;
• To ensure the Council treats grievances seriously and resolves them as quickly as possible; and
• To ensure that employees are treated fairly and consistently throughout the Council.

1.3. Matters excluded from this procedure are as follows:

• Appeals against salary or gradings;
• Appeals against disciplinary actions;
• Income tax, national insurance matters, rates of pay collectively agreed at the national or local level;
• Rules of pension schemes; and;
• A grievance about a matter over which the Council has no control.

2. INFORMAL GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE

In the interests of maintaining good working relations the employee is encouraged to first discuss any grievance with their Chairman or Clerk with a view to resolving the matter informally if appropriate. If the employee or Councillor feels that this is not appropriate, or they wish to pursue a formal grievance they should follow the procedure detailed below.

3. FORMAL GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE STANDARD COUNCIL GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE

3.1. The employee must set out their grievance in writing (“Statement of Grievance”) and provide a copy to their Chairman/Clerk.

3.2. Once the Council has had a reasonable opportunity to consider its response to the information provided in the Statement of Grievance the employee will be invited to attend a grievance meeting to discuss the matter.

• (i) The employee/Councillor must take all reasonable steps to attend the meeting.
• (ii) Grievance meetings will normally be convened within 10 working days of the Council receiving the Statement of Grievance.
• (iii) The employee/Councillor has the right to be accompanied to a grievance meeting by an advisor or by a Trade Union representative.
• (iv) If the meeting is inconvenient for either the employee/Councillor or their companion, the employee/Councillor may ask to postpone the meeting by up to 5 working days.

3.3. A grievance meeting must be adjourned to allow matters raised during the course of the meeting to be investigated, or to afford the employee/Councillor/Chairman/Clerk time to consider the decision.

3.4. After the meeting the employee/Councillor will be informed of the Council’s decision within 10 working days. The meeting may be reconvened for this purpose. The Council’s decision will be confirmed to the employee in writing.

3.5. If the employee wishes to appeal against the Council’s decision, they must inform the Council within 5 working days of receiving the decision.

3.6. If the employee notifies the Council that they wish to appeal, the employee will be invited to attend a grievance appeal meeting before a Staffing Committee of the Council. The employee must take all reasonable steps to attend that meeting. The employee has the right to be accompanied to a grievance appeal meeting by an advisor or by a Trade Union representative.

3.7. A grievance appeal meeting will normally be convened within 10 working days of the Council receiving notice that the employee wishes to appeal pursuant to 3.5. above. If the meeting time is inconvenient for the employee or their companion, the employee may ask to postpone the meeting by up to 5 working days.

3.8. After the grievance appeal meeting the employee will be informed of the Council’s final decision within 10 working days. The meeting may be reconvened for this purpose. The Council’s decision will be confirmed to the employee in writing.

4. MODIFIED COUNCIL GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE (FOR FORMER EMPLOYEES)

4.1. If an ex-employee wishes to raise a grievance, they must set out their grievance and the basis for that grievance in writing and provide a copy for the attention of a Staffing Committee of the Council.

4.2. Following receipt of a Statement of Grievance pursuant to 4.1. above, the Council will either write to the ex-employee inviting them to attend a meeting to discuss the grievance, or to ask for the ex-employee’s agreement to the Council responding to the grievance in writing.

4.2.1. If the ex-employee does not agree to the matter being dealt with by correspondence within 10 working days of the Council writing to them pursuant to 4.2. above steps 3.1. to 3.4. of the standard Council grievance procedure will be followed. The meeting will be conducted by a Staffing Committee of the Council.

4.2.2. If the ex-employee does agree to the matter being dealt with by correspondence, a Staffing Committee of the Council will consider their grievance and will respond to the ex-employee in writing within 10 working days of the receipt of such confirmation setting out the basis for the Council’s decision.

5. GENERAL PROCEDURAL INFORMATION

5.1. Grievances raised under the standard Council grievance procedure will normally be investigated, and any meetings to discuss the grievance conducted by the employee’s chairman/clerk.

5.2. If an employee’s grievance is about their chairman/clerk they should raise the matter with the vice-chairman of the Council. All investigations and any grievance meeting will be conducted by a Staffing Committee of the Council and any grievance appeal meeting will be conducted by delegated members of the Council who are not part of the Staffing Committee.

5.3. Where a grievance is raised by the clerk to the Council or all employee relations matters are dealt with by a Staffing Committee of the Council all investigations and any grievance meeting will be conducted by the said Committee. Any grievance appeal meeting will be conducted by delegated members of the Council who are not part of the Staffing Committee.

5.4. A copy of the Statement of Grievance, a note of the decision taken at the first stage of the procedure, any notice of appeal and appeal decision will be placed on the employee’s/ex-employee’s personnel file, together with any notes or evidence taken or compiled during the course of the procedure.

Adopted at the Parish Council Meeting held on November 11th 2020

STBPC2020