A grievance letter is a way for an employee to make a formal complaint about something that happened at work. If you aren't sure of how to write one of these letters, this guide will make things simpler for you. These letters are a way to sort out problems quickly and without issue.
Basic Rules
When writing a grievance letter, there are a few basic rules you should abide by:
- Keep your letter to the point, but give your employer enough information and detail so he or she can fully assess the situation. Without enough information, he or she cannot properly investigate the issue, and going off point may confuse your case.
- Stick to the facts. Do not make any allegations that cannot be backed up with evidence. You should be able to prove anything you bring up in the letter. Making accusations that cannot be proved will only weaken your case.
- Explain how you felt about the behavior without using abusive or offensive language. Also, avoid emotive language. Emotive language includes words that will make an unnecessarily bigger impact on the reader and create more drama. There is no need to include this type of language in your letter.
Outline of the Letter
Follow this basic structure:
- As in any formal letter, the first thing you should include is your name, address, and contact information followed by the date you’re writing the letter. Next, include your employer’s name and address. Make sure your letter is addressed to the correct person. Your employer may have a specific process or person who deals with grievances.
- In the body of your letter, begin by clearly defining the facts of your complaint. State the date and time the event occurred, where it took place, and the names of anyone involved. If possible, list the names of anyone who may have witnessed the event.
- In the next paragraph, describe the evidence to support your complaint. This evidence can be a statement from another person who may have witnessed the event or a description of communications with the person you are filing the complaint about.
- If you have a reasonable solution to your complaint, discuss it in the following paragraph. Make sure the solution is possible and reasonable. An example would be requesting that the accused person go through a training class, or asking to be moved to a different office. Remember that your job is to work with your employer to resolve this issue.
- Finally, include any steps you’ve taken to attempt to resolve the problem prior to writing the grievance letter. If you have approached a manager, explain what happened. If the manager failed to address the issue as agreed upon, include this information in your letter.
- Close the letter with a phrase such as “Sincerely,” or “Yours faithfully,” then add three blank lines for your signature and type your name.
Example Grievance Letter
[Your Name]
[Your Contact Information]
[Current Date]
[Your Employer's Name]
[Your Employer's Address]
Dear Mr. / Ms. [Last Name],
I am writing to seek your help in resolving a problem I am experiencing at work. This problem is causing me some concern, and I have been unable to solve it without bringing it to your attention. I hope, together, we can deal with the issue quickly and amicably.
Due to the distance from the company to my home, I work from home on Mondays. Until recently, my supervisor, [Supervisor’s Name], has been very supportive of me. However, her attitude toward me has changed since I told her on January 24, 2016, that I was pregnant. Since then, she has made derogatory comments about me to some of my colleagues, which has been causing issues with my coworkers.
On April 21, Ms. [Supervisor’s Last Name] said I would have to work in the office every day of the week until I went on maternity leave. When I asked why, she just said she needed staff in the office. I said I would try, but I had been finding it difficult enough to travel to the office even before I was pregnant. She said if I could not work in the office, I should look at other options. I asked what she meant, and she said I was free to go elsewhere.
I raised this matter informally but have not been satisfied with the outcome. I tried talking to Ms. [Supervisor’s Last Name], but she refused to talk to me about the issue, stating that she had said all she had to say on the matter.
I am upset about this situation, as I have been a valuable employee for five years and have not had any past issues. I enjoy my work and cannot understand why her attitude to me has changed. I would welcome the chance to talk this problem through with you at a convenient time and place.
Yours faithfully,
[Your Signature]
[Your Name]
