EXAMPLES OF OUR WORK

Dealing With a Complex Mutual Grievance

Narrow Quay HR was asked to carry out an investigation into mutual grievances involving allegations of race discrimination. The Chair of Trustees and Chief Executive of a charity had raised serious allegations about each other. The result was the organisation was struggling to be able to function and the conflict was having an impact on its funding.

The Chair raised questions about our experience in dealing with race discrimination issues. The Chief Executive asked that the investigation interview be recorded.

One of the people we interviewed asked to remain anonymous.

How Did We Help?

The mutual grievances meant dealing with interlinked matters, to ensure it was fully dealt with we had to interview each person twice, once to explore their own grievance and once so they could respond to the other’s grievance. We prepared one outcome report and then produced shorter individual summary reports that could be sent to each complainant.
To deal with the questions about our expertise we reminded the interviewee of how many investigations into discrimination we have carried out, the equality training we provide to clients and that we have extensive experience as employment lawyers, meaning we are very familiar with the key legal provisions.

We dealt with the recording request by explaining various challenges regarding data protection and storage and reminded the interviewee that they would have the opportunity to check and request amendments to the notes.

We explained to the interviewee who wanted to remain anonymous about the consequences for that which is their evidence would be rendered so vague as to be meaningless. We contacted the client and asked that they put in place support for the employee so they felt confident to provide evidence where they were named.

Having addressed those various challenges we carried out a comprehensive investigation and provided a detailed report to the client. Our report allowed them to resolve the matters that had been raised and were able to take the necessary steps to allow it to function again.