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AI-generated employee grievances: A guide for employers
July 14, 2026
The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the workplace is becoming increasingly common, and employers and HR teams are seeing a huge rise in lengthy grievances that have been drafted or assisted by AI tools.
Our employment expert Rachel Ford-Evans explores how employers and HR teams can deal with these grievances in a sensible and fair way.
Whilst it may sometimes be difficult to know when AI has been used to write a grievance, there are several indicators that may help you identify this:
The fact that a grievance has been drafted using AI doesn’t reduce an employer’s duty to investigate the complaint. An AI-generated grievance must still be dealt with fairly and in accordance with your grievance procedure and the ACAS Code of Practice.
Your first priority should be to understand the substance of the complaint so you can investigate the grievance appropriately. If the grievance is unclear, there are ways you can work with the employee to identify the specific issues they’re raising and the outcome they’re seeking:
A meeting allows employers to:
If handled correctly, this can help you to narrow and focus the scope of the grievance, and let the employee know that AI won’t be able to replace the requirement for their personal input in the process.
Even if a formal grievance has been raised, it might be possible to de-escalate the situation by offering the employee informal options like mediation or a facilitated meeting, instead of proceeding with your investigation. If you receive an AI-generated grievance, consider whether it’s appropriate to take an informal and human approach with the employee at an early stage rather than getting drawn straight into a full grievance procedure.
One of the most common mistakes that employers make when dealing with AI-generated grievances is responding to every point and reference made. Instead, employers should identify and summarise the key concerns and focus their response on the specific factual issues that require investigation or resolution.
Try to avoid being influenced by the confidence of any legal language used, and instead assess the issues objectively based on the facts. This is an internal grievance process, not a Tribunal case.
Where AI has been used to draft a grievance, employers should consider whether any confidential information or personal data has been uploaded to an external AI tool. Employers should ensure that their AI policies clearly set out what information may and may not be shared with AI tools and provide regular training to employees on the responsible use of AI in the workplace.
Employers should ensure that both their grievance procedures and AI policies are up to date and reviewed regularly. Grievance policies should encourage informal resolution and outline that, whilst it is inevitable that problems will arise from time to time, often the best and fastest way to resolve these is to raise them informally. AI policies should address the employee’s acceptable use of AI tools, confidentiality and data protection requirements as well as any consequences of misuse.
AI-generated grievances can be intimidating due to their length, complexity and formal legal tone. Providing training to managers and HR teams can help them respond confidently and effectively. Trained managers and HR teams are more likely to focus on resolving the underlying workplace issue effectively, rather than becoming distracted by lengthy or overly complex grievances.
If you would like more information about any of the issues discussed in this article, or around training, please get in touch. You can contact us via our contact form, email hello@darwingray.com, or call 02920 829 100 to discuss how we can support you or your business.
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