Mid-year indicative ratings
This briefing clarifies the process for resolving
disagreements under the new Grievance Procedure.
Discussion with manager
The aim of
the performance management system is to encourage open and honest discussion
between the employee and manager to deal with difficulties or disputes at an
early stage so that they can be resolved along the way. Regular performance
discussions throughout the year allow the employee and manager to discuss
issues informally as they occur. The final end-of-year assessment should not
come as a surprise to the employee.
The new
grievance procedures are for use to resolve People Performance disagreements.
All grievances should be resolved by Employee Action or Manager
Action if it is possible to do so satisfactorily (Grievance
Procedure 5.6).
Where this is not possible, employees may raise their issue
formally under the formal grievance procedures (link will only work on DWP network). It is best practice to try to resolve disagreements
informally in the first instance and only resort to formal action as a last
resort. However, the right to raise a formal grievance and appeal is available
under People Performance Procedure13.
Summary of
grievance process
There is a procedural emphasis on informal action, under the Employee Action or Manager Action options where possible in the first instance, with a
requirement for mangers to engage constructively with employees. The revised
grievance process is simply summarised under Grievance Procedure 5.3:
Employees
are expected wherever possible to progress their issue using the Employee
Action or Manager Action procedures. Managers are required to engage
constructively with employees to ensure the Employee Action and Manager Action
procedures are meaningful and effective.
However, the
right to raise a formal grievance remains under 5.3 (supported by Grievance
Advice Q&A 2) on the basis that:
Should
the issue remain unresolved and, upon further reflection, the employee believes
it is reasonable to do so, employees may have
their grievance dealt with under the Management Investigation procedure.
