AI tools are changing the way employees raise workplace concerns. A complaint that might once have been a few paragraphs can now arrive as a lengthy, formal document, complete with legal terminology, legislation and case references.
For managers and HR teams, working through these submissions can be time-consuming and make it harder to identify the issues that really need attention.
AI-generated grievances must still be treated seriously. The challenge for employers is to ensure that the employee’s concerns are properly understood and investigated, without becoming unnecessarily tied up in the length or legalistic wording of the document.
Here are some practical tips to help.
- Focus on the concerns, not the document
A lengthy grievance may contain several pages of background, legal arguments and allegations, but the underlying concerns may be relatively straightforward.
Start by identifying what the employee says has happened, how they have been affected and what they would like to see happen next.
Do not dismiss a grievance because it appears to have been written using AI, or assume that every legal reference is accurate. Equally, there is no need to treat every statement or legal citation as an established fact. Focus on the substance of the complaint and the evidence.
- Arrange a scoping meeting
A preliminary meeting can help managers and HR teams understand the main issues before deciding how to investigate them.
Keep the discussion supportive and focused. Useful questions include:
- “In your own words, what are the two or three things that have upset you the most?”
- “What would you like to happen as a result of raising this grievance?”
You can also clarify relevant dates, witnesses, documents, any immediate concerns and the outcome the employee hopes to achieve.
Afterwards, prepare a short summary of the issues to guide the investigation. Share it with the employee for comment, but do not make their agreement a condition of considering the grievance. The original submission should remain on record, and relevant allegations must not be overlooked.
- Make your grievance procedure work for you
Employers may want to review their grievance procedures to help manage lengthy or complex submissions more effectively.
Consider including:
- An initial scoping meeting where appropriate.
- Guidance encouraging employees to explain their concerns clearly and concisely.
- A process for identifying the main issues to be investigated.
- The opportunity to provide supporting documents or additional information where relevant.
You could also provide employees with a short guide explaining what information is most useful when raising a grievance. This may help them focus on the facts, the impact on them and the outcome they are seeking.
The aim is not to discourage employees from raising concerns or impose rigid limits that prevent legitimate issues from being heard. Serious allegations, including discrimination, harassment or whistleblowing, must be handled appropriately regardless of how long the submission is.
- Help managers and HR teams stay focused
A grievance containing numerous legal references can feel intimidating, particularly for managers who are unfamiliar with employment law.
Remind those handling grievances that they do not need to respond to every legal assertion individually at the outset. Their role is to understand the allegations, establish the relevant facts and follow a fair process.
HR can help by identifying the key issues, advising on any legal risks and ensuring the investigation is proportionate to the matters raised.
Where a grievance raises complex legal issues or potentially serious allegations, appropriate specialist advice may be needed.
- Take a sensible approach to AI
Employees may use AI to organise their thoughts, structure a complaint or help them express themselves. That alone is not a reason to treat their grievance differently.
It is reasonable to encourage employees to check the accuracy of anything they submit and to take care when entering confidential or personal information into AI tools.
Employers should also avoid making assumptions about AI prompts or outputs. Whether such material may be disclosable will depend on the circumstances and applicable legal rules and protections; it is not automatically privileged or disclosable in every case.
The key takeaway
AI-generated grievances may create additional work, but they also provide an opportunity to make grievance handling clearer and more effective.
By focusing on the employee’s actual concerns, using scoping meetings where appropriate and giving managers practical support, employers can avoid getting lost in lengthy submissions while ensuring that grievances are taken seriously.
The objective is simple: understand the concern, investigate it fairly and focus everyone’s time on resolving the issues that matter.