Grievance Policy​

​

We want our clients, employees, suppliers, contractors and anyone affected by our activities to be able to raise concerns safely. A grievance is a concern about our conduct, decisions or actual or potential effects on people, communities, the environment, or how the business is run.

 

Examples include unfair treatment, discrimination, harassment, working practices, ethical conduct, confidentiality, accessibility or environmental impacts. You do not need to label your concern a “grievance” for us to consider it.

​

For clients with complaints about our professional services, you may use the formal complaints procedure set out in our engagement terms, including any escalation there. You can also follow the process below. The below procedure does not remove any legal, contractual or regulatory right to raise an issue elsewhere.

​

How to raise a concern

​

Email hello@huntermanagementaccountancy.co.uk with “Private grievance” in the subject, or write to our registered address (2 Russell Avenue, Sale, M33 2ET), marked private grievance. Please describe what happened, when, who was involved, any supporting information, and the outcome you seek. If you need any help to submit the grievance or a conversation first, tell us and we will arrange a suitable way to receive it.

 

You may ask us to keep your identity confidential as far as reasonably possible. You may raise a concern anonymously, although we may then be unable to ask questions or send updates.

​

Employees should use the employee route set out in the Employee Handbook.

​

What we will do

​

We accept grievances where the issue concerns our business, people acting for us or our actual or potential impact on a stakeholder. We may route a service complaint, data rights request, legal claim according to an appropriate procedure while still considering any related grievance.

 

We may decline an issue that is outside our activities, gives too little information to assess after reasonable efforts to clarify, or repeats a matter already considered without significant new information.

 

We will explain a decision not to accept any grievance, where we are able to contact you.

​

Within 2 working days of receiving a contactable grievance, we aim to acknowledge it and name the person handling it. Within 5 working days, we aim to confirm whether we accept it, need more information and set out next steps. We will listen to those affected, review relevant records, and consider practical remedies such as correcting a mistake, changing a process, training, an apology, or a mutually agreed meeting or mediation where suitable. We aim to give a written outcome within 20 working days of receipt. If more time is needed, we will explain why, give a revised date and update you at least every 10 working days and at each material step. We will confirm when agreed actions are complete and the case is closed.

​

If you are dissatisfied with the outcome, tell us within 5 working days, or as soon as reasonably possible, and explain why. A person not involved in the original decision will review it where practicable. As a small business we may need to appoint an independent external adviser if needed. We aim to respond to an appeal within 10 working days, or explain any delay. Any contractual complaint escalation or external rights remain available.

​

Safety and confidentiality

​

We prohibit retaliation for raising a concern in good faith, supporting someone else, or taking part in an investigation. This includes threats, hostility, reduced work or opportunities, adverse treatment or pressure to withdraw. We limit case information to those who need it, record access and any conflict of interest, and use a different decision-maker or external adviser where an owner is implicated. At the start and at closure we ask whether any protective measures are needed, and we check for adverse treatment afterwards. Report suspected retaliation through the same route, or through the alternative employee route; it will be treated as a separate serious concern. We cannot promise absolute secrecy where a fair investigation or legal obligation requires disclosure, but we will discuss necessary disclosure with you where possible.