Dealing with employee grievances: the right to be accompanied

The Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) has held that an employer breached section 10 of the Employment Relations Act 1999 when it refused an employee’s request to be accompanied at a grievance hearing by a certified union officer. The employee’s right to choose a companion was an absolute right, subject only to the requirement that the companion be an appropriate union representative or one of the employer’s other workers.

A checklist which sets out how a business should respond if an employee raises a grievance can be provided on request. Please contact me for further details.