How to write a grievance letter (with template)

In My Corner · Learn — 8 min read · Updated July 2026

A formal grievance is a tool, not an outburst — and choosing when to use it matters as much as how. This guide covers both, and ends with a template you can adapt.

Before you go formal

Ask yourself three questions honestly. First: what do I actually want? The conduct to stop? A change of reporting line? A formal finding? Your letter should ask for it explicitly — a grievance without a requested outcome invites a vague response. Second: is informal resolution genuinely exhausted or genuinely unsafe? For serious conduct, going straight to formal is right; for a first-time issue with a reasonable person, a direct conversation sometimes gets a better result faster. Third: is my evidence in order? A grievance filed in a moment of fury, without dates, is a gift to a poor employer. A grievance filed on a documented pattern is very hard to wave away.

One thing worth knowing before you start: in the UK, raising a grievance is a protected act in many circumstances — treating you badly because you complained about discrimination is unlawful victimisation, separate from the original complaint. And if your situation may end in a tribunal claim, know that the claim clock (typically three months less one day from the act complained of) keeps running even while an internal grievance is ongoing. If you're anywhere near that boundary, talk to ACAS (0300 123 1100) about early conciliation in parallel — don't let the internal process quietly run you out of time.

What makes a grievance letter strong

Chronological, numbered, factual. Incident by incident: date, what happened, who saw it, what evidence exists. No adjectives doing the work facts should do.
Verbatim where it counts. "He said, in front of the team, 'maybe this is beyond you'" lands harder than "he was demeaning".
Impact, briefly and factually. One or two sentences — sleep, health, GP visits, effect on work. Impact is evidence, not drama.
The protected-characteristic link, if it exists. If you believe the treatment relates to your race, sex, disability, age, religion, sexuality or pregnancy, say so plainly and say why. This changes the employer's legal obligations.
A specific outcome requested. What would resolve this?
Calm tone throughout. The letter may one day be read by an investigator, an appeal manager, or a tribunal. Write for that reader: unemotional, precise, reasonable. Fury is understandable; on paper it only helps the other side.

The template

[Your name] [Personal email / home address] [Date] To: [HR / your manager, per the grievance policy] Formal Grievance — [one line, e.g. "bullying and harassment by (name/role)"] Dear [name], I am raising a formal grievance under [company]'s grievance procedure regarding [subject]. The incidents are as follows: 1. On [date], [factual description]. [Witness: name.] [Evidence: reference.] 2. On [date], [factual description]. [Witness: name.] [Evidence: reference.] [Continue chronologically.] [If relevant:] I believe this treatment is related to my [protected characteristic], because [brief factual reason]. [If steps were already taken:] I raised this informally with [name] on [date]; [what happened]. The effect on me has been [brief, factual — health, work, attendance]. I request that this grievance is investigated under the grievance procedure and the ACAS Code of Practice, and that [specific outcome sought]. I am aware of my right to be accompanied at any grievance meeting. Yours sincerely, [Name]

After you send it

Keep a copy, and keep the acknowledgement (or note its absence). The employer should invite you to a grievance meeting without unreasonable delay — you have the right to be accompanied by a colleague or union rep. If the outcome disappoints, use the appeal: it shows procedural diligence and keeps every later option open. And through all of it, keep the log running — what happens after you file a grievance is often as legally significant as what happened before.

If any of this has you at the edge — not sleeping, dreading every morning, or worse — please put this article down and talk to a human first: Samaritans 116 123 (UK & Ireland, free, 24/7), 988 in the US & Canada. The workplace problem can wait an hour; you matter more.

You don't have to work this out alone. In My Corner is a team of five AI companions for exactly this — one who listens, one who decodes letters and knows your deadlines, one who keeps your evidence organised, one for fresh starts, one who teaches. Private by design: conversations are never stored on our servers.

Talk it through — In My Corner

This article is general information, not legal advice, and it leans on UK practice — time limits and processes differ in other countries and change over time. For decisions that matter, check with ACAS (0300 123 1100), your union, or an employment solicitor.