20/08/2026
Another AI-generated grievance landed in my inbox this week, followed by a worried client on the phone.
I’m noticing this more and more.
Grievances that used to be a page long are arriving as ten-page documents, citing employment law, referencing tribunal language and even setting out “suggested remedies”, all clearly drafted with AI.
And I understand why they can feel intimidating.
But here’s what I tell my clients when this happens:
💻The format isn’t the substance.
A grievance dressed up in legal language isn’t automatically a stronger case. It may simply mean the employee has used a tool that is very good at sounding confident.
Don’t let the formatting intimidate you into treating it differently from a less detailed complaint.
👀Find the actual issue.
Strip it back and ask: What is my employee genuinely unhappy about?
In my experience, it’s almost always something much simpler than the document suggests.
🗣️Don’t skip the conversation.
It’s tempting to respond point-by-point to every legal reference. Don’t.
Have a calm, genuine conversation about what is actually going on.
Most people don’t use AI to draft a grievance because they’re trying to build a legal case. They use it because they didn’t feel heard the first time.
Managers who check in regularly, listen properly and make it easy to raise concerns informally will see fewer grievances escalating into lengthy, AI-assisted documents.
✅And remember: a fair process still applies, whatever the format.
An AI-generated grievance still deserves a proper look.
One final point worth remembering: according to Pinsent Masons, 86% of AI-assisted grievances that reached tribunal didn’t succeed.
That’s a useful reminder that a grievance can sound highly technical and legally sophisticated without necessarily meaning it represents a stronger legal case. It’s about HR and managers being equipped to see past the formatting and focus on what is actually being raised.
The important thing is not to be distracted by the language or intimidated by the length. Listen to the concern, understand what’s really being raised, and follow a fair process.
