Most workplace grievances don't appear out of nowhere.
Often, there have been signs that something isn't quite right for weeks, sometimes months, before an employee decides to raise a formal complaint.
A breakdown in communication. A difficult relationship with a manager. Someone feeling they haven't been listened to. Or perhaps a concern that was raised informally but never really resolved.
And before you know it, what could have been a conversation has become a formal grievance.
I've spent over 20 years working in HR and Employee Relations, and one thing I've learned is that having the right policies and procedures matters. But knowing when to have a conversation, and how to approach it, can be just as important.
Why do workplace issues become formal grievances?
There isn't always one simple answer.
Sometimes an employee has a serious concern that absolutely needs to be investigated through a formal process.
But in other situations, the issue has been building for some time.
A manager might have avoided a difficult conversation because they weren't sure how to approach it. An employee may have tried to explain how they were feeling but didn't believe anything would change.
Neither situation necessarily starts with bad intentions.
The problem is that when concerns aren't addressed, relationships can deteriorate, trust can disappear and positions become harder to change.
By the time a grievance is submitted, people may already have decided that nobody is listening.
What happens when we focus on resolution rather than just process?
In a previous organisation, I helped introduce a different approach to resolving workplace concerns.
Rather than automatically moving towards formal grievances, we explored opportunities for early resolution, including facilitated conversations, roundtables, team conferencing and mediation where appropriate.
This wasn't about discouraging employees from raising grievances or avoiding formal procedures.
It was about recognising that sometimes the most effective solution was to help people understand one another, address the underlying issue and agree how they would work together moving forward.
Over time, we saw average monthly grievances reduce from approximately 12 to 2.
That was a significant change.
But what mattered to me wasn't simply the reduction in formal cases. It was creating opportunities for people to be heard and helping managers feel more confident addressing difficult situations.
What can employers do differently?
One of the first things I'd encourage employers to consider is how confident their managers feel having difficult conversations.
Do they know how to respond when someone raises a concern?
Do they understand when informal resolution might be appropriate and when a formal process is necessary?
And perhaps most importantly, do employees trust that their concerns will be taken seriously?
Early resolution doesn't mean avoiding accountability. It doesn't mean asking employees to compromise where there are serious allegations or significant risks.
It means recognising that a fair and proportionate response can look different depending on the circumstances.
Managers need the confidence to listen, ask questions, seek support when necessary and recognise when something is beyond an informal conversation.
The connection between employee relations and workplace culture
This is where I think organisations sometimes miss the bigger picture.
Employee Relations isn't separate from workplace culture.
The way concerns are handled tells employees a great deal about the organisation they work for.
Are people listened to? Are decisions fair? Are managers supported to deal with problems? Do employees feel safe raising concerns?
You can have excellent policies, but if everyday experiences don't reflect what those policies promise, trust can quickly disappear.
And that's why improving Employee Relations isn't simply about handling individual cases more efficiently.
It's also about strengthening management capability, communication and the wider employee experience.
A question worth asking
If a workplace concern was raised in your organisation tomorrow, would your managers feel confident dealing with it?
Or would their first instinct be to pass it straight to HR because they weren't sure what to do?
There's no shame in needing support. Some situations are complex, and knowing when to ask for help is part of good management.
But investing in confidence, early conversations and fair resolution can make a real difference.
At Culture & Employee Experience by Melisa Cunningham, I work with employers across the UK and Ireland to navigate complex Employee Relations matters, strengthen management confidence and address the workplace issues that sit beneath the surface.
If you're seeing recurring grievances, difficult team relationships or managers who need additional support, we can explore what's happening and what practical steps might help.
You can also start with my free Employee Relations Health Check, designed to help you reflect on how confidently your organisation manages workplace concerns.
Melisa Cunningham FCIPD
Founder, Culture & Employee Experience by Melisa Cunningham