The "Acas code of practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures", which provides guidance to assist employers and employees to deal with grievances in the workplace, identifies a number of key stages when an employer is handling a grievance:

• The employee should let the employer know the nature of the grievance. If informal resolution of the grievance is not possible, the employee should raise the matter formally and without unreasonable delay with a manager who is not the subject of the grievance.
• The employer should hold a meeting with the employee to discuss the grievance. The employee should be allowed to explain his or her grievance and how he or she thinks it should be resolved (and be allowed to be accompanied at the meeting).
• The employer should decide on appropriate action and then communicate its decision to the employee, in writing, without unreasonable delay. Where appropriate, it should set out what action it intends to take to resolve the grievance.
• The employee should be allowed to take his or her grievance further if it is not resolved. Where the employee appeals, the employer should hear the appeal without unreasonable delay and deal with it impartially and wherever possible by a manager who has not previously been involved in the case.