A formal grievance about bullying is a written complaint asking your employer to look into what happened and respond. Acas suggests the letter or email says what the grievance is about, includes any supporting documents and says what you want your employer to do. It does not need legal wording: it needs dates, facts and a clear request. This guide covers Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales).

Key points

  • Check your employer's grievance or bullying and harassment policy for who should receive it.
  • Put it in writing: incidents in date order, supporting documents, and what you want your employer to do.
  • The Acas Code expects a meeting, a written decision and a right of appeal; you can usually bring a companion.
  • A grievance does not pause employment tribunal time limits.
Contents
  1. Check which procedure applies
  2. What to put in the letter
  3. A fictional outline
  4. What happens after you send it
  5. Frequently asked questions

Check which procedure applies

GOV.UK says your employer should have a written grievance procedure explaining how to set out your grievance, who to send it to, who to write to if the usual contact is involved, and how long each stage should take. The Acas Code of Practice says organisations may handle bullying and harassment under a separate procedure, so look for that policy too. The Code says a formal grievance should be raised in writing, without unreasonable delay, with a manager who is not the subject of it. If there is no procedure, Acas suggests your line manager, or another manager or HR if that feels uncomfortable.

What to put in the letter

  • Opening: “I am writing to raise a formal grievance”, as in the Acas template, and a one-line summary.
  • Incidents in date order: date, place or channel, what was said or done, who was present, and the effect on you or your work. If you have kept a bullying at work diary, take these from it.
  • Supporting documents: a short numbered list, such as emails, messages or meeting invitations, and where the originals are kept.
  • What you want: specific and realistic, as Acas advises, such as an investigation by someone not involved, or a temporary change to working arrangements meanwhile.
  • Companion: the colleague or trade union representative you would like to bring to the meeting.

You do not have to use the word “bullying”. Describe the conduct. If a remark seemed linked to age, race, sex or another protected characteristic, say which incident and quote it.

A fictional outline

Invented example; not a real person or workplace.

  1. “I am writing to raise a formal grievance about how my team leader has spoken to me since June 2026.”
  2. “16 June 2026, team meeting, about ten people present: my team leader called my report ‘amateur’.”
  3. “3 July 2026, by email: I was removed from a client project without explanation (document 1).”
  4. “8 September 2026, video call: I was interrupted and told ‘this is useless, as usual’.”
  5. “I would like a manager outside my team to investigate, and to be accompanied at the meeting by my trade union representative.”

What happens after you send it

The Acas Code expects a formal meeting without unreasonable delay; Acas's step-by-step guide suggests ideally within 5 working days. GOV.UK says you can be accompanied by a colleague or trade union representative. The employer may adjourn to investigate, then should give its decision in writing and explain how to appeal. An appeal should set out your reasons in writing and, where possible, be heard by a manager not previously involved.

  1. Note the date you sent the grievance and keep a copy.
  2. Record the meeting date and who attended; ask for the notes.
  3. Note the date of the written outcome and the appeal deadline in your employer's procedure.
  4. Record any appeal and its outcome.

GOV.UK notes that if a claim reaches an employment tribunal, compensation could be adjusted by up to 25% where the Acas Code was not followed. Acas has consulted on an updated Code, so check which version is in force. Acas also says a grievance does not change tribunal time limits, so check yours early.

If your notes are scattered, our incident log template shows one way to put them in date order. Kirokune can keep notes, photos and imported chats in a timeline on your iPhone and export a PDF (a Kirokune Plus feature); it does not decide what happened.

Frequently asked questions

How do I write a grievance letter about bullying?
Say that you are raising a formal grievance, list the incidents in date order with who was present, list the documents you rely on, and say what you want your employer to do. Acas publishes a free grievance letter template you can adapt.
Do I have to use the word bullying in a grievance?
No. Describe what was said or done and how it affected you. Your employer can assess it under its grievance or bullying and harassment policy.
Does raising a grievance stop the tribunal time limit?
No. Acas says grievance, disciplinary and appeal procedures do not change your time limit, so notify Acas in time if you are considering a claim.

Sources

A letter tray holding a letter with a copy clipped behind it

Kirokune helps you keep a record. It does not diagnose, decide what happened, or give legal advice.