Employment Relations Policy Template

Which variant fits your situation?

Common mistakes to avoid

The 9 key sections, explained

How to fill it out

1. 1

   Define scope and insert company details

   Replace all [PLACEHOLDERS] with your organization's legal name, locations, and the employee categories covered. Confirm whether the policy applies to contractors, agency workers, and remote staff as well as permanent employees.

   💡 If you operate in more than one country, create a separate version for each jurisdiction rather than cramming all variations into one document — multi-jurisdiction policies become unreadable and are rarely applied correctly.

2. 2

   Assign roles and accountability

   Name the specific roles — not individuals — responsible for maintaining the policy, handling grievances, and conducting disciplinary hearings. Ensure the investigating manager and the appeal manager are different people.

   💡 List a backup role for each responsibility so the process does not stall when the primary person is on leave or has a conflict of interest.

3. 3

   Set timelines for each procedural step

   Fill in the working-day deadlines for grievance meetings, investigation outcomes, and appeal responses. Timelines should be realistic for your organization's size — a 5-person team cannot realistically commit to 2-day response windows.

   💡 Express deadlines in 'working days' rather than calendar days to account for weekends, public holidays, and leave.

4. 4

   Tailor the disciplinary stages to your organization

   Decide whether your disciplinary process will have three stages (informal, written warning, dismissal) or five stages (informal, verbal, first written, final written, dismissal). Larger organizations typically need more stages; small teams can operate with fewer.

   💡 Define 'gross misconduct' examples explicitly in the policy — theft, fraud, physical violence, serious data breach. Courts give employers less benefit of the doubt on summary dismissal when the policy does not define what it covers.

5. 5

   Write the grievance and disciplinary forms into appendices

   Add template grievance submission forms and disciplinary meeting records as appendices to the policy. Consistent record-keeping forms reinforce that the procedure was followed correctly.

   💡 A signed acknowledgment form — where the employee confirms they received and read the policy — is your first line of defense in an unfair dismissal claim.

6. 6

   Add the equal opportunity statement and protected characteristics list

   Insert the protected characteristics applicable to each jurisdiction where you employ people. Cross-reference your anti-harassment policy if you have one.

   💡 Reference any associated policies (anti-harassment, reasonable adjustments, parental leave) by name in this section so employees know where to go for further detail.

7. 7

   Set the review date and version number

   Enter the effective date, version number, and next scheduled review date on the cover page. Commit to an annual review cycle in the policy text itself.

   💡 Calendar a recurring reminder 8 weeks before the review date so the update does not slip — a lapsed review date signals to tribunals that the policy is not actively maintained.

8. 8

   Distribute and obtain acknowledgment

   Share the final policy with all employees via your preferred channel (intranet, email, or onboarding pack) and collect signed acknowledgments. Brief line managers separately on their specific responsibilities.

   💡 A 15-minute manager briefing on the grievance and disciplinary procedure is more effective than distributing the document alone — managers who understand the process apply it correctly under pressure.

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Glossary

Employment Relations

The management of the formal and informal interactions between an employer and its employees, including conduct, communication, and dispute resolution.

Grievance Procedure

A defined, step-by-step process through which an employee formally raises a workplace complaint and the employer investigates and responds.

Disciplinary Procedure

A structured process for addressing employee conduct or performance issues, typically progressing from informal discussion to verbal warning, written warning, and dismissal.

Natural Justice

The principle that an employee accused of misconduct must be informed of the allegation, given a fair opportunity to respond, and have their case decided impartially.

Constructive Dismissal

When an employer's conduct — such as unilaterally changing terms or creating an intolerable work environment — forces an employee to resign, which courts may treat as dismissal.

Reasonable Adjustment

A modification to a role, process, or workplace environment made to accommodate an employee with a disability or protected characteristic.

Progressive Discipline

A disciplinary approach that escalates consequences incrementally — from informal coaching through to termination — giving the employee opportunity to correct behavior at each stage.

Consultation

A formal process of seeking employee input before implementing significant workplace changes, distinct from simply informing employees after a decision is made.

Right to Accompaniment

An employee's entitlement to bring a colleague or trade union representative to a formal disciplinary or grievance meeting.

Performance Improvement Plan (PIP)

A documented plan that sets specific, measurable performance targets for an underperforming employee within a defined timeframe, with regular review points.