Grievance Policy
Executive Summary
Zone3 is committed to providing a safe, fair, and respectful environment for all employees and external stakeholders. This Grievance Policy outlines our approach to promptly and impartially resolving grievances, in line with the highest standards of transparency and stakeholder protection.
Introduction
Zone3 recognises that, from time to time, problems, concerns or misunderstandings may arise in the course of employment, business relationships, or engagement with the wider community. We also acknowledge that external stakeholders may wish to raise concerns regarding our operations, conduct or impact. It is therefore important, and in everyone's interest, that grievances are raised and resolved promptly, fairly and transparently.
This policy has been developed to align with B Corp standards, the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, and applicable UK employment legislation, including the ACAS Code of Practice on Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures.
Relationship to the Employee Handbook
For employees, the grievance procedure set out in the Zone3 Employee Handbook applies. This policy restates that procedure and extends the same principles to external stakeholders. Where the wording of this policy conflicts with the Employee Handbook, the Employee Handbook takes precedence. Where the Employee Handbook is silent, this policy applies.
Objective
Zone3 is committed to fostering an inclusive, ethical and respectful environment for all stakeholders, including:
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Employees (including permanent, temporary and agency staff, trainees, managers and directors)
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Contractors and consultants
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Customers and athletes
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Suppliers and business partners
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Community members and other affected stakeholders
We aim to ensure that all grievances are handled with dignity, respect and fairness, and that individuals feel safe to speak up without fear of retaliation.
Zone3 is opposed to all forms of unlawful discrimination, harassment, bullying and unethical conduct. Any complaint of discrimination or harassment will be treated seriously and addressed promptly, efficiently and, as far as possible, confidentially.
Scope
This policy applies to all internal and external stakeholders who wish to raise a grievance relating to Zone3's activities, behaviour, policies or relationships.
While the principles of fairness, transparency and non-retaliation apply to all, specific procedures are outlined below to reflect the different contexts of employees and external stakeholders.
When to Use This Policy
You may use this grievance procedure if you believe that you have:
- Been treated unfairly or unlawfully, including in breach of Zone3's Equality, Diversity & Inclusion commitments
- Experienced or witnessed harassment, bullying or discriminatory behaviour
- Been affected by unethical, unsafe or irresponsible business practices
- For external stakeholders, a serious concern regarding Zone3's operations, products, supply chain or community impact
Anyone raising a genuine grievance in good faith will not be subject to unfavourable treatment, retaliation or victimisation as a result of doing so.
Concerns in the public interest
If you are an employee raising a concern about wrong doing in the public interest, rather than about your own treatment at work, use the Public Interest Disclosure ('Whistleblowing') Policy in the Employee Handbook instead of this procedure. That policy covers matters such as a criminal offence, a failure to comply with a legal obligation, a miscarriage of justice, a danger to the health and safety of any individual, damage to the environment, or an attempt to conceal any of these, and it gives you an escalation route to the relevant external authority. This procedure covers concerns about how you have been treated at work.
Related policies
This policy should be read alongside the Grievance Policy and Procedure in the Zone3 Employee Handbook, the Harassment and Bullying Policy, the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy, the Disciplinary Policy and Procedure, the Public Interest Disclosure ('Whistleblowing') Policy, and the Data Protection Policy.
Non-Retaliation and Stakeholder Protection
Zone3 strictly prohibits any form of retaliation against individuals who raise grievances, provide information, or participate in investigations in good faith.
Appropriate safeguards are in place to protect confidentiality, to ensure impartiality and fairness, and to safeguard the rights of all parties involved.
Separate but aligned procedures are maintained for employees and external stakeholders, as set out below.
How to Raise a Grievance
For Employees
Informal process
Employees are encouraged, where appropriate, to raise concerns informally with their immediate line manager, who will seek to resolve the matter collaboratively and promptly.
If you feel unable to approach your line manager directly, you should approach another member of the Senior Leadership Team, who will discuss with you ways of dealing with the matter.
Where both parties agree and the circumstances are suitable, we may offer mediation as a way of resolving the matter informally. Taking part in mediation is voluntary and does not affect your right to raise a formal grievance.
If the grievance cannot be resolved informally, if it concerns the line manager directly, or if it is of a serious nature, the employee may raise a formal grievance. Raising a grievance informally first does not prevent you from raising it formally afterwards if it is not resolved to your satisfaction.
Formal process
You must set out the nature of the grievance, and the full particulars of it, in writing. The written grievance should be submitted to your line manager. If the grievance concerns your line manager, it should be submitted to another member of the Senior Leadership Team. This will initiate the formal grievance process outlined below.
Your responsibilities
You have a responsibility to raise any grievance promptly and reasonably, to assist us, if required, in any investigation of the matters raised, to follow this procedure, and to attend all meetings arranged under it.
You must take all reasonable steps to attend any meeting arranged under this procedure. If you have a legitimate reason why you cannot attend on the proposed date, you must contact the person named on the invitation immediately. The meeting may then be delayed to facilitate your attendance, if this is considered reasonable.
Failure to participate in the process or to attend arranged meetings without good reason may result in a decision being made on the information available.
For External Stakeholders
External stakeholders may submit a grievance by emailing grievance@zone3.com, which is monitored by the Senior Leadership Team.
Where a grievance concerns a member of the Senior Leadership Team, it may be sent instead to any other member of the Senior Leadership Team, who will arrange for it to be handled by someone not connected to the matter.
Grievances may be submitted confidentially, and anonymous submissions will be reviewed where sufficient information is provided to allow investigation. Please note that the ability to investigate or resolve anonymous grievances may be limited if essential information is missing. We encourage as much detail as possible to support a thorough review.
Grievance Process
In this policy, working days means Monday to Friday, excluding recognised public holidays.
For Employees
Acknowledgement
All formal grievances will be acknowledged within 3 working days.
Your right to be accompanied
At all formal stages of this procedure, you are entitled to be accompanied by a colleague or a trade union official. If you wish to be accompanied, you must let us know the name and position of your chosen companion as soon as possible.
Evaluation and Investigation
You will be invited to a grievance meeting, normally within five working days of your grievance being received.
Your grievance will normally be heard by your line manager. If your grievance concerns your line manager, it will be heard by another member of the Senior Leadership Team.
Where a grievance concerns a member of the Senior Leadership Team, it will be heard by another member of the Senior Leadership Team who is not connected to the matter. Where a grievance concerns the majority of the Senior Leadership Team, it will be escalated to the founder.
The manager hearing the grievance will investigate as appropriate and may gather additional evidence or witness statements.
Prior to the meeting, you should ensure that you are fully prepared to present your grievance, share any supporting evidence, and answer any questions relating to the incident or circumstances in question.
A written outcome will be provided as soon as reasonably practicable, normally within five working days of the meeting or of any further investigation being completed. The written outcome will include the decision and the right of appeal.
Where delays are unavoidable, the employee will be informed and given a revised timeline.
If multiple grievances are raised, each will be considered individually. Oversight is provided by the Senior Leadership Team to help ensure consistency and impartiality.
Resolution
Zone3 aims to facilitate a resolution within 15 working days wherever possible.
Where a grievance raises other matters
Where a grievance investigation identifies conduct that may amount to misconduct, that matter will be dealt with separately under the Disciplinary Policy and Procedure.
Where a grievance is raised during a disciplinary process, we may deal with the two matters concurrently, or suspend the disciplinary process while the grievance is considered, depending on the circumstances. We will tell you which approach we are taking and why.
For External Stakeholders
Acknowledgement
Grievances will be acknowledged within 3 working days of receipt.
Evaluation
The grievance will be reviewed by the relevant department to assess scope and relevance within 5 working days.
Investigation and Resolution
Where a grievance is deemed valid, an impartial investigation will be conducted. A resolution or response will be provided within 5 working days wherever possible, or a clear explanation of next steps and timelines will be communicated.
Communication and Transparency
All stakeholders raising a grievance will receive:
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Clear reasons for accepting or rejecting the grievance
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Regular updates at key stages of the process
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Written communication outlining the outcome and, where relevant, corrective actions or remediation
Appeals
For Employees
If you are dissatisfied with a decision made regarding a grievance you have raised, you have the right of appeal.
Your appeal must be made in writing, stating the reasons for the appeal, to the individual identified in the decision letter. This should be submitted no later than the end of the fifth working day after you received written notification.
Appeals should focus on issues such as procedural unfairness, bias or conflict of interest, disproportionate or inconsistent outcomes, or new evidence that was not reasonably available at the original hearing.
Whenever possible, the appeal will be dealt with by a different manager to the person who dealt with the grievance, and by a member of the Senior Leadership Team who was not involved in the original decision.
An appeal meeting will be arranged and held as quickly as possible, normally within five working days. You will be entitled to attend the appeal meeting and will be given an opportunity to state your case, and you retain the right to be accompanied by a colleague or a trade union official.
You must take all reasonable steps to attend the appeal meeting. If you have a legitimate reason why you cannot attend on the proposed date, you must contact the person named on the invitation immediately, and the meeting may then be delayed to facilitate your attendance if this is considered reasonable.
A final written decision will be provided as soon as reasonably practicable, normally within 10 working days of the appeal meeting, or the employee will be informed of any delay and revised timelines. The decision at the appeal stage is final and there is no further right of appeal.
For External Stakeholders
External stakeholders may appeal a decision within 10 working days of receiving the outcome. An independent review will be conducted, and a final response will be issued within 20 working days.
Processes and Controls
Record Keeping and Data Protection
All grievance records are securely stored and managed in accordance with data protection legislation, including the UK GDPR. Only authorised personnel have access.
Employee grievance records are held on the Breathe HR system. External stakeholder grievances are recorded in the Zone3 Stakeholder Grievance Tracker Log. Records are retained for six years from the date the grievance is closed, after which they are securely deleted.
Controls
To ensure effective implementation and stakeholder protection, Zone3 maintains the following controls:
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Confidentiality: all grievances are handled sensitively and confidentially
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Independent oversight: investigations are conducted by impartial managers or, where appropriate, external third parties
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Training: employees involved in grievance handling receive training on non-retaliation, fairness and stakeholder rights
Recording of Meetings
For employee grievance and appeal meetings, we will normally arrange for summary minutes to be taken. It is not our policy to record meetings by any other means, including digital and audio recording and photographs.
You, or any party accompanying you, must not record any meeting without our express permission in advance. Where a meeting is to be recorded, all parties must agree to it in advance. If requested, a copy of the minutes or recording will be provided, in line with data protection principles.
Policy Review
This policy will be reviewed at least annually to ensure continued alignment with UK legal requirements, ACAS guidance, B Corp standards, and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. It will also be reviewed whenever the grievance procedure in the Employee Handbook is revised, so that the two documents remain aligned.
Zone3 reserves the right to update this policy at any time to reflect best practice and evolving stakeholder expectations.
Feedback and Continuous Improvement
Zone3 welcomes feedback on this policy and our grievance process. Suggestions can be submitted to grievance@zone3.com. We are committed to ongoing improvement.
Approved by: Zone3 Senior Leadership Team
Date approved: October 2026
Next review due: October 2027
