Your employees are using AI. That includes when they raise a grievance.
Recent research suggests around 60% of UK businesses have seen grievances they believe were written using AI. We are seeing it too. Long documents. Confident tone. Lots of legal language.
Sometimes the facts are wrong. Sometimes the law quoted is not even UK law.
So what should you do? Respond to the concern, not the technology used to write it.
Start with the person, not the tool
A grievance drafted with AI is still a grievance. Do not dismiss it because an employee has used a tool to help put their concerns into words.
Instead, look for the real concern underneath. What has happened? What is the employee worried about? What outcome are they looking for?
Do not reply line by line
Resist the temptation to respond to every allegation, legal reference or paragraph in a lengthy document.
Meet the employee. Ask them, in their own words, what happened and what they want to happen next.
That one conversation can turn a 40-page document into three real issues that need to be understood and addressed.
Do not try to ban AI
You cannot realistically police every use of AI in the workplace. Trying to ban it outright is unlikely to address the underlying problem.
Set clear expectations instead. Employees should understand that they remain responsible for the accuracy of their grievance, the facts they present and the information they choose to include.
Explain the risks of AI prompts
Employees should also understand that prompts entered into AI tools and the responses generated may become relevant if a workplace dispute escalates.
If a dispute reaches an employment tribunal, those records may be disclosable, depending on the circumstances. They are not automatically protected by legal privilege simply because they relate to an employment dispute.
A practical point for employees: Be thoughtful about what you enter into AI tools, particularly personal information, confidential workplace details and material relating to a potential dispute.
Is it time to update your grievance policy?
Yes. A small change can make a meaningful difference.
Consider adding a short paragraph to your grievance policy explaining your approach to AI-generated documents. Make clear that employees may use AI to help express their concerns, but remain responsible for the accuracy of the information they submit.
The policy should also reinforce the importance of confidentiality, personal data and the established grievance process.
Then train your managers. Help them stay calm and focused when a complaint arrives sounding more like a legal letter than a conversation.
Remember the human side
Here is the human bit.
A long, forceful document can feel like an attack. Our brains can read it as a threat. But that is not necessarily what it is.
More often, it may be someone who feels unheard and has found a tool that sounds powerful.
Respond to the person. Not the prose.
The technology may be changing how grievances are written. The need to listen carefully, investigate fairly and treat people with respect has not changed.
How Impact Lawyers can help
If you would like to discuss how AI-generated grievances could affect your business, review your employment policies or arrange training to help your managers handle grievances confidently, we would be happy to help.
By Victoria Hall, Co-Founder Employment Law
Victoria is an experienced employment lawyer, a Level 7 CIPD-qualified HR professional, accredited external workplace investigator, practising coach and a non-executive director.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific legal advice tailored to your business, please contact the Impact Lawyers team at contact@impactlawyers.co.uk.