What to Do If HR Is Ignoring Your Formal Grievance Letter
You finally sent your formal grievance.
Then nothing happened.
No meeting. No meaningful update. Perhaps not even an acknowledgement.
If HR appears to be ignoring your formal grievance, it is easy to assume either that you have done something wrong or that your employer can simply leave the complaint unanswered indefinitely.
Neither assumption is helpful.
The ACAS Code of Practice says employers should arrange a formal grievance meeting without unreasonable delay after receiving a grievance.
So what should you do when HR goes silent?
How Long Should HR Take to Respond to a Grievance?
There is no universal statutory rule requiring every employer to hold a grievance meeting within a fixed number of days.
The ACAS Code says that employers should arrange a formal meeting without unreasonable delay after receiving a grievance. Separate ACAS guidance suggests that managers should ideally arrange a grievance meeting within five working days. However, that does not mean every grievance taking longer than five working days automatically breaches employment law.
A complicated complaint involving multiple allegations, witnesses or significant amounts of evidence might reasonably take longer to organise than a straightforward complaint.
Your employer's own grievance procedure is therefore important.
Check whether it specifies timescales for:
acknowledging your grievance;
arranging a meeting;
investigating;
communicating an outcome; and
dealing with an appeal.
What Counts as an Unreasonable Delay?
There is no single number of days after which a delay automatically becomes unreasonable.
Context matters.
Ask yourself:
Has HR acknowledged the grievance?
Have they explained what happens next?
Have they given you an approximate timescale?
Have they explained why additional time is required?
Is anybody apparently investigating your allegations?
Does the delay comply with the employer's own grievance policy?
There is an important difference between: "We are interviewing four witnesses and expect to update you by 18 September." and Silence.
A genuine investigation can take time. An unexplained failure to progress a grievance is a different issue.
Step 1: Check Your Employer's Grievance Policy
Before escalating matters, read the procedure.
It may tell you:
how quickly grievances should be acknowledged;
who is responsible for investigating;
when a meeting should happen;
when an outcome should be provided; and
who you should contact if the process is not progressing.
Keep a copy of the policy that applied when you raised your grievance.
Step 2: Send a Calm Written Follow-Up
Avoid sending an angry email accusing HR of deliberately ignoring you unless you have evidence supporting that conclusion.
Instead, create a clear written record.
For example:
"I submitted my formal grievance on 3 August 2026 and understand that it was received. I have not yet received confirmation of the next stage of the grievance process.
Please could you confirm when I can expect the grievance meeting to be arranged and provide an indication of the proposed timetable for dealing with my grievance?"
This does two things.
It asks HR to progress the grievance.
It also creates a dated record showing that you attempted to obtain an update.
Step 3: Record the Delay in Your Chronology
Keep track of what happens after submitting your grievance.
For example:
3 August: Formal grievance submitted to HR.
4 August: Delivery acknowledged.
11 August: No meeting arranged. Follow-up sent.
18 August: Second follow-up sent.
21 August: HR advised investigation had not started.
This may become relevant if there is later disagreement about how the grievance was handled.
Step 4: Escalate Appropriately
If the person responsible for your grievance is not responding, check your employer's procedure for another appropriate contact.
Depending on the organisation, this could be:
a more senior HR manager;
another senior manager;
a grievance officer;
a director; or
another person identified in the grievance policy.
Keep the language professional.
The objective is to get the grievance moving rather than generate another dispute unnecessarily.
Can My Employer Just Ignore My Grievance?
Employers should deal with formal grievances fairly and without unreasonable delay in accordance with the ACAS Code.
Failure to follow the Code does not automatically create a standalone Employment Tribunal claim. However, where a relevant claim subsequently reaches an Employment Tribunal, the tribunal can take compliance with the ACAS Code into account.
In relevant cases, an unreasonable failure to comply with the Code can result in an adjustment to compensation of up to 25%. That does not mean that HR ignoring one email automatically entitles an employee to 25% more compensation. The circumstances of the case and the employer's overall conduct matter.
Does Raising a Grievance Stop the Employment Tribunal Deadline?
Do not make this assumption.
This is one of the most important points for somebody waiting for HR to respond.
An internal grievance procedure does not necessarily stop an Employment Tribunal limitation period from running.
Many tribunal claims have relatively short time limits, and ACAS Early Conciliation can affect how the relevant deadline is calculated.
If you believe the events underlying your grievance could potentially result in an Employment Tribunal claim, check the relevant limitation rules independently.
Do not simply wait months for HR to finish its internal process.
What If HR Says the Investigation Is Taking Longer?
A delay does not necessarily mean the process is unfair.
Some grievances require:
witness interviews;
examination of documents;
consideration of competing accounts;
investigation of multiple allegations; or
specialist input.
If there is a genuine reason for delay, your employer should keep you informed.
Ask for:
the reason for the delay;
what stage the investigation has reached; and
when you can reasonably expect the next update.
This gives you something concrete against which to assess further delays.
What If HR Never Responds?
If repeated reasonable attempts to progress the grievance receive no meaningful response, preserve the evidence.
Keep:
your original grievance;
proof that it was sent;
acknowledgements;
follow-up emails;
the employer's grievance procedure; and
a chronology of your attempts to obtain a response.
Depending on the circumstances, you may then need to consider your next options, including contacting ACAS or obtaining appropriate legal advice where necessary.
Don't Let HR's Silence Leave Your Case Disorganised
Waiting for HR does not mean you have to stop preparing.
Use the time to review:
your chronology;
your allegations;
your supporting evidence;
relevant witnesses;
your employer's policies; and
the outcome you are asking for.
If HR suddenly invites you to a grievance meeting, you will then be in a much stronger position to explain your case clearly.
Is Your Grievance Process Going Off Track?
If you are handling your grievance without a solicitor or trade union representative, it can be difficult to tell the difference between an ordinary administrative delay and a potentially significant procedural problem.
Run the Marcas Free Case Health Check to review how your grievance case has been prepared and identify potential gaps before the process moves forward.
And if you are still building your grievance case, read our complete guide:
How to Raise a UK Workplace Grievance Without a Union Rep or Solicitor
Raising the grievance is only the beginning.
From that point onwards, keep records, keep your evidence organised and keep track of what your employer does — and what it fails to do.
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