Grievance Procedure

Purpose

Sapphire aims to ensure that all employees have access to a fair, transparent and effective procedure for raising and resolving grievances relating to their employment with Sapphire. This procedure is designed to resolve concerns promptly, consistently and in line with the ACAS Code of Practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures.

Scope

This procedure applies to all employees employed by Sapphire DNP Limited (Sapphire) employment contract, including matters arising during or in connection with assignments with end‑clients.

Informal Resolution

Where possible, employees are encouraged to raise any concerns informally in the first instance. This will usually involve discussing the matter with our Support Team. Many issues can be resolved quickly and effectively at this stage.

Stage 1 – Statement of Grievance

If the matter cannot be resolved informally, the employee should set out their grievance in writing, clearly explaining the nature of the complaint and the outcome sought. The written grievance should be submitted to our Support Team.

Stage 2 – Grievance Meeting

Sapphire will acknowledge receipt of the grievance and, without unreasonable delay, invite the employee to attend a grievance meeting to discuss the issues raised. The meeting will normally be arranged with reasonable notice.

Employees should take all reasonable steps to attend the meeting. Where either the employee or Sapphire representative is unable to attend for a valid reason, the meeting will be rearranged within five working days of the original meeting date.

Following the meeting, Sapphire will confirm the outcome of the grievance in writing without unreasonable delay and will inform the employee of their right to appeal.

Stage 3 – Appeal

If the employee is dissatisfied with the outcome of the grievance, they may submit their grounds of appeal in writing within a reasonable period following receipt of the grievance decision.

An appeal meeting will be arranged without unreasonable delay and, where practicable, will be conducted by a manager who was not involved in the original grievance.

The outcome of the appeal will be confirmed in writing without unreasonable delay. The decision reached at the appeal stage is final.

Additional Notes

• This procedure does not form part of the employee’s contract of employment.
• No employee will be subjected to any detriment for raising a grievance in good faith.
• Where a grievance relates to matters involving an end‑client, Sapphire may need to liaise with the client as part of its consideration of the grievance, while remaining responsible for managing the process as the employer.