AI-Written Grievances: Helping Communication or Complicating Resolution?

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly becoming part of everyday working life, and employee relations processes are no exception. Increasingly, employees are using AI tools to help draft grievances, complaints and workplace concerns; these are the key effects employers need to consider.

Should I be concerned about the use of AI in submitting grievances?

This is not automatically a negative development. In many cases, AI can genuinely help employees communicate more confidently and effectively, particularly where individuals may struggle with written communication, structuring their thoughts, or expressing concerns clearly in English. This can be especially helpful for neurodiverse employees or those who may otherwise find formal workplace processes difficult to engage with.

However, while AI can improve communication, many employers and managers are beginning to encounter new challenges arising from AI-assisted grievances and complaints.

How does the use of AI affect me as an employer?  

One of the most common issues emerging is the increasing length and complexity of grievances. Managers are now receiving complaints spanning multiple pages, often written in highly formal or legalistic language, with numerous allegations, historical concerns and references to legal terminology.

In some cases, the volume of information can make it difficult to identify the actual issue requiring resolution. Employers may spend significant time carefully reviewing and responding to each point, only for further lengthy emails containing additional questions, allegations or arguments to be submitted shortly afterwards.

This can create frustration for managers and HR teams, but it can also make it harder to achieve the original purpose of a grievance process — resolving workplace concerns reasonably and constructively.

Will I need legal advice?

Importantly, the use of technical or legal language does not automatically mean that a grievance has legal merit. AI tools are capable of producing professional-sounding documents very quickly, but this can sometimes unintentionally escalate situations or encourage employees to raise every possible concern rather than focusing on the core issue.

How can I be confident I am responding appropriately if the grievance is unclear? 

The ACAS Code of Practice does not require employers to respond endlessly or engage in disproportionate correspondence. Instead, grievances should be handled reasonably, fairly and without unnecessary delay.

Where grievances become excessively detailed or difficult to follow, it is generally reasonable for employers to:

• ask the employee to summarise or clarify the key issues they would like addressed;
• request that concerns are condensed into manageable themes or main allegations;
• ask the employee to identify the outcome they are seeking;
• avoid responding line-by-line to every minor point where this would not be proportionate or constructive; and
• set reasonable boundaries around repetitive or excessive correspondence.

This does not mean dismissing concerns or refusing to engage with grievances. Rather, it is about ensuring that the process remains workable, focused and fair for all parties involved.

Do I have to respond in writing?

In many cases, a meeting with recorded minutes can be far more productive than a prolonged email exchange.

Encouraging employees to talk through their concerns verbally often helps clarify the genuine issues behind lengthy written complaints. It also allows managers to ask questions, explore concerns in context and better understand what resolution the employee is actually seeking.

While AI may assist employees in drafting concerns, meetings help bring the discussion back to the employee’s own experiences, thoughts and desired outcomes, rather than the language generated by a software tool.

Isn’t this unnecessarily confrontational?

Managers should also remember that receiving a highly formal or technical grievance can feel intimidating, particularly where legal terminology is used. However, the focus should remain on identifying the actual workplace concern, assessing it reasonably, and responding fairly and proportionately.

AI is unlikely to disappear from the workplace and, when used appropriately, can play a positive role in helping employees communicate concerns more effectively.

However, employers are increasingly needing to balance accessibility and employee voice against the practical realities of managing lengthy, complex and sometimes disproportionate grievances.

Ultimately, the goal of any grievance process should be resolution, not escalation. Keeping discussions focused, reasonable and constructive will remain essential, regardless of whether concerns are written by an employee, an adviser or, increasingly, AI.