OPEN UNIVERSITY WORLDWIDE LIMITED

GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE
INTRODUCTION

The Company recognises that circumstances may arise in which an employee feels
aggrieved with some aspect of his/her work and that an effective procedure should
exist for resolving such grievances fairly and as quickly as possible.

This procedure applies to the resolution of individual grievances arising from the
course of employment and is applicable to all members of staff in OU Worldwide. It
covers all grievances, except those arising from disciplinary matters for which a
separate procedure exists.

Basic Principles

- Grievances should be resolved as near to the point of origin as possible,

normally by the immediate Supervisor or Line Manager.
- Grievances should be resolved as quickly as possible.
- Advice to managers and employees is available from the HR Director at any
stage of this procedure.

STAGES OF PROCEDURE

In the first instance, an employee should approach his/her immediate Supervisor/Line

Manager to try and resolve informally any grievance which he/she may have. If it
becomes necessary to invoke the formal Grievance Procedure then the following
stages will apply.

Stage 1

The grievance should be raised in writing with the manager setting out briefly the
relevant details. The manager will then arrange to meet and discuss the grievance
with the employee in order to reach a resolution within 10 working days.

Stage 2

If the grievance is not satisfactorily resolved after Stage 1, the employee should
request in writing that the grievance be considered by the Director of the team or the
HR Consultant. A meeting should be arranged with the employee to discuss the
matter within 10 working days.

Stage 3

If the matter remains unresolved after Stage 2, the employee should request in
writing that it is considered by the Managing Director. A hearing will normally take
place within 15 working days. The panel at the hearing would comprise the
Managing Director and 2 other senior members of the Company.
It is normal practice for the HR Director to act as secretary to the hearing panel.

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Stage 4

Where the matter still remains unresolved after Stage 3, it may be appropriate to
refer to a third, independent party for conciliation, i.e. ACAS. This option may be
sought by either side.

REPRESENTATION

At any stage of the procedure the employee may be accompanied by a friend or

colleague of their choice.

TIME PERIODS

The periods of time specified above for resolution of the grievance may be changed
by mutual agreement of the parties concerned. The Senior Management Team will
be notified of any cases which have not been resolved within 6 weeks.

RECORD KEEPING

The Manager(s) concerned should keep a written record of the grievance and the
response to it on the employee’s personal file. The employee concerned is entitled
access to the written records, and should he/she not agree with the contents, is
entitled to indicate this with their reasons.

ROLE OF PERSONNEL

The advice of the HR Director/Administrator may be sought on the operation of this

procedure.

OPEN UNIVERSITY WORLDWIDE LIMITED

PROCEDURE TO BE FOLLOWED AT GRIEVANCE HEARINGS

1. The member of staff or his/her representative shall state his/her case in the
presence of management and may call witnesses.
2. Management shall have the opportunity to ask questions of the member of
staff, his/her representative and his/her witnesses.
3. The Panel shall have the opportunity to ask questions of the member of staff,
his/her representative and his/her witnesses.
4. The member of staff or his/her representative shall have the opportunity to re-
examine his/her witness on any matter referred to in their examination by the
Panel or management.
5. Management shall state its case in the presence of the member of staff and
his/her representative and may call witnesses.
6. The member of staff or his/her representative shall have the opportunity to
ask questions of management and their witnesses.
7. The Panel shall have the opportunity to ask questions of management and
their witnesses.

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8. Management shall have the opportunity to re-examine their witnesses on any
matter referred to in their examination by the Panel, member of staff or his/her
representative.
9. The member of staff or his/her representative shall have the opportunity to
sum up their cases if they so wish. Management shall have the opportunity to
speak last. In summing up neither party may introduce any new matter.
10. Nothing in the foregoing procedure shall prevent the members of the Panel
from inviting either party to elucidate or amplify any statement made, or from
asking such questions as may be necessary to ascertain whether or not they
propose to call any evidence in respect of any part of their statement, or
alternatively, whether they are in fact claiming that the matters are within their
own knowledge, in which case they will be subject to examination as witness
under (2) or (6) above.
11. The Panel may at their discretion adjourn the hearing in order that further
evidence may be produced by either party for any other reason.
12. The member of staff, his/her representative, witnesses and management shall
withdraw.
13. The Panel shall deliberate in private, only recalling both parties to clear points
of uncertainty on evidence already given. If recall is necessary both parties
shall return notwithstanding only one is concerned with the point giving rise to
doubt.
14. Both parties shall be recalled to hear the decision.
15. In some instances it may be appropriate to refer unresolved grievances to a
third independent party for conciliation, usually ACAS. This may be done by
either staff or management side.

The HR Director will act as independent secretary to the Panel.

HR Department
January 2003