1. Purpose
This policy sets out how Murzo Group handles grievances, workplace concerns, complaints by employees or workers, and concerns about treatment at work.
It is intended to give people a clear route for raising concerns while helping Murzo Group resolve issues fairly, promptly, confidentially, and without victimisation.
2. Scope
This policy applies to Murzo Group employees, workers, directors where appropriate, agency workers, interns, temporary staff, secondees, and other people working with Murzo Group where a workplace grievance process is suitable.
Contractors, suppliers, clients, platform users, and third parties may be handled under contract, complaints, whistleblowing, procurement, safeguarding, security, or legal processes where those routes are more appropriate.
3. What May Be Raised
A grievance may relate to working arrangements, treatment at work, management decisions, bullying, harassment, discrimination, pay or hours concerns, health and safety, workload, reasonable adjustments, relationships with colleagues, contractual issues, or another matter affecting the person at work.
Serious wrongdoing in the public interest may be handled under the Whistleblowing & Speak Up Policy. Immediate safety, security, food safety, safeguarding, data breach, or criminal concerns must be escalated without delay through the relevant urgent route.
4. Informal Resolution
Where appropriate, a person should consider raising the concern informally with a manager, director, HR contact, project lead, or other suitable Murzo Group representative.
Informal handling may include discussion, clarification, mediation, adjustment, management action, apology, training, rota change, communication reset, or practical steps to prevent recurrence.
5. Formal Grievance
If informal resolution is not suitable or has not resolved the issue, the grievance should be raised in writing. The written grievance should explain the concern, relevant dates, people involved, impact, any steps already taken, and the outcome sought where possible.
Where a person needs help putting the grievance in writing because of disability, language, literacy, health, or another reasonable need, Murzo Group should consider suitable support.
6. Acknowledgement and Initial Assessment
Murzo Group should acknowledge a formal grievance and consider the most appropriate route. Some matters may need urgent protective steps, separation of parties, manager change, safeguarding action, whistleblowing handling, disciplinary investigation, legal advice, or referral to another policy.
Where a grievance is unclear, Murzo Group may ask for further information so that the concern can be understood and handled fairly.
7. Grievance Meeting
The person raising the grievance should normally be invited to a meeting to explain the concern. They should be given reasonable notice and may be accompanied where the legal right to be accompanied applies.
The meeting should be handled respectfully and should allow the person to explain the issue, provide information, identify witnesses, and explain what outcome they are seeking.
8. Investigation
Murzo Group should consider what investigation is reasonable. This may include speaking to relevant people, reviewing documents, checking messages or system information where lawful, considering CCTV where lawful, reviewing contracts or policies, and seeking specialist advice.
The investigation should be proportionate to the seriousness, complexity, evidence, confidentiality, data protection, welfare, safety, and legal risks involved.
9. Outcome
After considering the grievance, Murzo Group should confirm the outcome in writing without unreasonable delay. The outcome may uphold the grievance fully or partly, reject it, recommend informal action, make management changes, provide training, adjust working arrangements, refer issues to another process, or take other proportionate steps.
Where delays occur, the person should be updated where practicable.
10. Appeal
If the person is not satisfied with the outcome, they should be told how to appeal, the deadline, and who the appeal should be sent to. Appeals should be in writing and explain the grounds of appeal.
Where practicable, an appeal should be handled impartially by someone not previously involved. The appeal outcome should be confirmed in writing and will normally be final.
11. Overlap With Disciplinary Matters
Where a grievance is raised during a disciplinary process, Murzo Group may pause the disciplinary process, deal with both matters together, or continue with appropriate safeguards depending on the facts and whether the issues are connected.
A grievance must not be used dishonestly to delay, obstruct, retaliate, intimidate, or interfere with a fair disciplinary, performance, security, or legal process.
12. Confidentiality and Protection From Retaliation
Grievances must be handled confidentially as far as reasonably possible. Information should only be shared with people who need it to understand, investigate, decide, support, protect, advise, or implement an outcome.
Murzo Group does not tolerate retaliation, victimisation, intimidation, threats, harassment, disadvantage, or witness interference because a person raised or supported a grievance in good faith.
13. Collective Concerns
Where two or more people raise the same or connected concern, Murzo Group may decide whether to handle the matter as individual grievances, a collective concern, consultation, management review, or another suitable process.
14. Review and Responsibility
Managers and authorised representatives are responsible for taking grievances seriously, escalating serious concerns, protecting confidentiality, and applying this policy fairly. Murzo Group may keep proportionate notes, correspondence, evidence, and outcome information where needed for legal, HR, safety, security, payroll, insurance, or business reasons.
This policy should be reviewed periodically and when employment law, ACAS guidance, working arrangements, contracts, or Murzo Group operations change.
