Can I Bring a Work Colleague to a Grievance Hearing If I Don't Have a Union Rep?
- 5 days ago
- 5 min read
Yes. If the statutory right to be accompanied applies to your grievance meeting, you can choose a work colleague to accompany you.
You do not have to belong to a trade union.
And your workplace does not have to be unionised for you to choose an eligible workplace colleague as your companion.
This can be particularly important if you are raising a grievance without a solicitor or union representative and are worried about attending a formal meeting with HR and senior management alone.
Here's what you need to know.
Do I Have the Right to Bring Someone to My Grievance Meeting?
UK workers have a statutory right to be accompanied at qualifying grievance meetings.
The right applies where the grievance meeting concerns a complaint about a legal or contractual duty owed by the employer to the worker.
Where the statutory right applies, your companion can be:
a workplace colleague;
a workplace trade union representative who is appropriately certified; or
an official employed by a trade union.
This means a workplace colleague can potentially accompany you even if neither of you belongs to a trade union.
Does My Employer Get to Choose My Work Colleague?
Where you are exercising the statutory right, the choice of eligible companion is yours, subject to the applicable rules.
You should make a reasonable request and tell your employer who you want to accompany you. Give your employer enough notice to make the necessary arrangements.
Your chosen colleague should also have enough time to understand the grievance and prepare for the meeting.
What Can My Colleague Do During a Grievance Hearing?
Your colleague does not have to sit silently beside you. With your permission, a companion can play an active role in the grievance meeting.
They can:
take notes;
set out your case;
respond to comments or points made during the meeting;
talk with you during the meeting; and
help you keep track of the issues being discussed.
This can be extremely valuable if you are nervous or if your grievance involves a complicated series of events.
Can My Colleague Answer Questions for Me?
Not as a statutory right.
Your companion cannot insist on answering questions that are put directly to you.
For example, if HR asks:
"Why didn't you report this incident immediately?"
your colleague cannot simply take over and answer the question instead of you.
They can, however, confer with you and can respond to points made during the meeting within the scope of the companion role. Your employer can choose to allow more involvement, but that is different from what the statutory right itself requires.
Can My Companion Challenge HR?
Your companion can respond to points made during the meeting and set out your case. But their role is not to obstruct the meeting or prevent another person from explaining their position.
Think of your companion as helping you present and navigate your case, rather than acting as a barrister conducting a courtroom cross-examination.
What Should My Work Colleague Do Before the Meeting?
Preparation is important.
Do not wait until you are standing outside the meeting room to explain a six-month workplace dispute to them.
Before the hearing, take your colleague through:
1. Your grievance
Give them a copy and make sure they understand the main allegations.
2. Your chronology
Explain the sequence of important events.
3. Your key evidence
Show them which emails, messages, documents or other evidence support the important allegations.
4. Your desired outcome
Explain what you have asked the employer to do.
5. Your concerns about the meeting
Tell your companion if there are particular issues you are worried you might forget or find difficult to discuss.
A Simple Script for Asking a Colleague to Accompany You
You could ask:
"I've been invited to a formal grievance meeting and I'd like you to accompany me as my workplace companion. Would you be comfortable doing that?
I'll give you my grievance, chronology and the key evidence beforehand so you understand what the meeting is about. I'd particularly like your help taking notes and making sure I cover the main points." If they agree, tell your employer as soon as reasonably possible.
A Simple Request to Your Employer
You can write:
"I would like to exercise my right to be accompanied at the grievance meeting. I have asked [COLLEAGUE NAME], who is a workplace colleague, to accompany me.
Please confirm that they can attend the meeting and let me know if you require any further information."
Keep a copy of the request.
What Should My Companion Write Down?
Ask them to concentrate on information that may matter later.
For example:
who attended;
when the meeting started and finished;
important questions asked;
your answers;
statements made by management or HR;
evidence discussed;
evidence the employer agrees to investigate;
witnesses the employer agrees to contact;
actions promised; and
the expected date of the outcome.
Do not rely entirely on memory after a stressful meeting.
What If My Chosen Colleague Cannot Attend?
If your chosen companion cannot attend at the proposed time, tell your employer promptly and discuss an alternative time.
There are specific rules concerning postponement where a chosen companion is unavailable, so do not simply fail to attend the grievance meeting.
Communicate with your employer and propose an alternative date where appropriate.
Can I Bring a Friend or Family Member Instead?
Not automatically under the ordinary statutory right to be accompanied.
The statutory categories are generally:
a colleague;
an appropriately certified trade union representative; or
a trade union official.
However, an employer may agree to allow someone else. Your employment contract or workplace policies may also provide broader rights.There can also be circumstances where an employer needs to consider allowing another person as a reasonable adjustment for a disabled worker.
Can I Bring a Solicitor to My Grievance Meeting?
There is not generally an automatic statutory right to insist upon a solicitor as your companion at an internal grievance meeting. Your employer might allow it, and your contractual arrangements or particular circumstances could also be relevant. But if you do not have a solicitor or trade union representative, don't overlook the fact that an eligible workplace colleague may still be able to accompany you.
What If My Employer Says I Must Attend Alone?
Ask why.
If you believe the statutory right to be accompanied applies, make your request clearly in writing.Identify the eligible companion you want to bring and ask the employer to explain its position if it refuses. Keep copies of the correspondence.
Your Companion Can Support You. They Can't Prepare Your Case for You.
Having someone sitting next to you can make a grievance meeting feel significantly less intimidating.But your colleague can only work with the case you bring into the room.
Before the meeting you should know:
What are my main allegations?
What evidence supports each allegation?
What questions do I want answered?
What important points must I communicate?
What outcome am I requesting?
Preparation matters just as much as accompaniment.
Prepare for Your Grievance Hearing With Marcas
If you are navigating the grievance process without a solicitor or trade union representative, Marcas can help you organise your case before the meeting.
Use your Marcas Witness Statement Pack and case materials to prepare the important events, evidence and questions you need to cover so that you and your companion understand the case before you enter the room.
You can also Run Your Free Case Health Check to identify potential gaps in your preparation before your grievance progresses.
For a complete walkthrough of the process, read:
How to Raise a UK Workplace Grievance Without a Union Rep or Solicitor
You might not have a union representative sitting beside you.
You might not have a solicitor attending the meeting.
But that does not mean you have to walk into your grievance hearing alone or unprepared.
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