Grievance and disciplinary procedure for agency workers
How to raise a problem with us, and what happens if we have a concern about your conduct or performance.
Equation Limited (company no. 16877403), trading as Equation Recruitment · 45 Wedgwood Road, Bicester, Oxfordshire OX26 4UL · Fair Work Agency licence EQUA0007 · EQL-GDP-01 v1.2, issued 19 October 2026.
This procedure explains how to raise a problem with us, and what happens if we have a concern about your conduct or performance. It goes with clause 18 of your Terms of Engagement. It follows the Acas Code of Practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures. It is not part of your contract, but we always follow it. If anything is unclear, ask us. We can explain it in your language at no cost to you.
1. What you can raise
You can raise any problem about how you have been treated at work. That includes pay, holiday, hours, breaks, safety, discrimination, harassment, bullying, or how anyone treats you, including the Hirer's staff. You can raise a problem together with other workers. You can also raise one after you have stopped working with us, about your time with us.
If your concern is about wrongdoing that affects other people or the public, see section 7 (whistleblowing). If you are not sure which applies, raise it anyway and we will deal with it the right way.
2. How to raise a problem
Use any way that suits you: this website, phone, text, WhatsApp, email, letter or in person, in any language. We arrange an interpreter at our cost, and we make adjustments if you have a disability.
| Who | How to reach them |
|---|---|
| Bradley Newman, your recruitment consultant | Bradley@equationrecruitment.com · office 01869 323 444 · Monday to Friday, UK hours |
| Jason Norman, Managing Director | jason@equationrecruitment.com · meetings on Teams or by phone, usually 9am to 1pm UK time |
| An independent person (appeals, and grievances about Jason) | Someone with no involvement, appointed for the case (for example our external accountant), until we appoint an HR adviser. Send your appeal to Bradley or Jason, who pass it on the same day |
Online. You can raise a grievance on this website. It comes only to us, never to the Hirer, and you get a reference straight away.
"Report a concern". You can also use the "Report a concern" link on your shift page. It comes only to us, never to the Hirer. It needs no identity check, and you can ask us to keep your name out of it. The link works while you are on assignment and for 6 weeks after your last shift; after that, phone or email us.
Our help page. eqone.co.uk/help shows how to raise a problem and where to get free outside help.
3. The stages
| Stage | Who | When | What happens |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Talk it through | Bradley (or Jason, if the problem is about Bradley or he is away) | We reply within 2 working days | Bradley tries to sort it out and confirms what was agreed by text or email. Pay queries are checked against the signed timesheet and your payslip, and any money owed is paid no later than the next weekly pay run |
| 2. Formal meeting | Jason Norman | We acknowledge your request in writing within 2 working days, meet you within 5 working days of your request, and give you a written decision with reasons within 5 working days of the meeting | Use this stage if Stage 1 does not sort the problem out, or if you ask for it (a text is enough). Serious matters go straight to this stage: harassment, discrimination, safety, threats or exploitation. The meeting is on Teams, by phone, or in person in Bicester with Bradley if you prefer |
| 3. Appeal | An independent person (see above) | Appeal in writing (a text or email is fine) within 5 working days of the decision; we accept a late appeal if there is a good reason. They meet you within 10 working days and decide within 5 working days of the meeting | Their decision is final within Equation, and Jason carries it out |
If your grievance is about Jason Norman, an independent person hears it at Stage 2, and a different independent person hears any appeal.
If we need longer than these timescales, we tell you why and give you a new date.
4. Your right to be accompanied
You may bring a fellow worker or a trade union representative to any formal grievance meeting, disciplinary meeting or appeal. If your companion cannot attend, we move the meeting to a time within 5 working days that suits them. We share the notes of meetings with you. A meeting is recorded only if everyone agrees.
5. Problems involving the Hirer's staff
If your problem is about something that happened at a Hirer's site, we raise it with the Hirer's management ourselves; you never have to do this yourself. If you ask, we keep your name out of it; if that ever becomes impossible, we tell you first. If you are moved to another shift, line or supervisor while we look into it, you lose no shifts and no pay. We will stop supplying workers to a Hirer if we are not satisfied that the problem has been dealt with.
6. No worse treatment
Raising a problem will never affect your bookings, your pay rate or how we treat you. Worse treatment includes:
- being offered fewer shifts;
- being removed from a Hirer;
- being blocked from work;
- being paid late.
Contacting the Fair Work Agency, Acas, the Modern Slavery Helpline or any regulator never counts against you.
We will never make your work, your bookings or your pay depend on you dropping a complaint or not raising one. We will never ask you to sign anything that stops you raising one.
Jason checks every open case each week. Four weeks after a case closes, he checks your shifts for any sign that you have been treated worse.
7. Whistleblowing: reporting wrongdoing
The law protects you if you report wrongdoing that you reasonably believe is in the public interest. Examples are unsafe work, underpayment, false timesheets or records, discrimination or harassment, exploitation or modern slavery, right-to-work fraud, bribery, or a data breach. You do not need proof; an honest, reasonable belief is enough. We will never treat you worse for raising a concern honestly, even if it turns out to be mistaken.
You can tell Bradley or Jason, or use "Report a concern". You can also go straight to an outside body. You do not have to tell us first. They include:
- the Fair Work Agency;
- the Health and Safety Executive;
- HM Revenue and Customs;
- the police;
- the Information Commissioner's Office;
- The Pensions Regulator.
Nothing in your Terms or in any agreement with us can stop you doing this.
8. If we have a concern about your conduct or performance
- Minor issues. Bradley has an informal word with you and notes it on your record. This is not a warning.
- Before any formal action (a warning, stopping work at a Hirer, or ending our engagement with you):
- Facts first. We ask the Hirer to confirm the issue in writing, and we hear your side.
- Notice in writing. We tell you in writing what is alleged, with the evidence, at least 2 working days before a meeting.
- A meeting with Jason, on Teams or by phone. You may bring a companion (section 4).
- A decision in writing, with reasons, within 5 working days. The possible outcomes are: no action; an improvement note; a written warning kept on file for 12 months; ending your assignments at that Hirer only; or, for gross misconduct, ending our engagement with you. Examples of gross misconduct are violence, theft, harassment, a serious safety breach, and working under the influence of drink or drugs.
- An appeal to an independent person, as in Stage 3.
- Keeping you off site while we look into something happens only where it is needed to protect people or the investigation. We tell you the reason in writing, keep the time as short as possible, and offer you other work if we have it. If the allegation is not upheld, we pay you for any booked shifts we cancelled.
- Missed shifts. If you miss a shift without telling us, Bradley calls and texts to check you are safe before anything else happens.
9. If a Hirer asks for you not to return
A Hirer may ask us not to send you back. When that happens:
- we ask the Hirer for its reason in writing;
- we check that the reason is not connected with any of these: a protected characteristic (such as race, sex, disability, religion or age), pregnancy, a complaint or grievance, trade union membership, a safety concern, whistleblowing, or a request about equal treatment after 12 weeks;
- we tell you the reason, as far as we can, and hear your side before any decision is made;
- Jason decides whether to stop offering you work at that Hirer, and records why;
- any block applies to that Hirer only, and you can still be offered work elsewhere;
- you can appeal to an independent person, as in Stage 3.
10. Free outside help
| Who | For |
|---|---|
| Fair Work Agency: 0800 432 0804 (free, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm) · contact@fairworkagency.gov.uk | Pay, holiday, being made to pay for work, unfair treatment, exploitation |
| Modern Slavery & Exploitation Helpline: 08000 121 700 (24 hours) | Being controlled, threatened or forced to work |
| Acas: 0300 123 1100 | Free advice on your rights at work |
| Health and Safety Executive: 0300 003 1647 | Danger to health and safety at work |
| Information Commissioner's Office: 0303 123 1113 | Your personal information |
| Police: 999 in an emergency; otherwise 101 | Crime or immediate danger |
If you are thinking about an employment tribunal claim, contact Acas early. Using this procedure does not stop the tribunal time limit running.
11. Records
We keep a confidential record of each grievance, disciplinary matter and Hirer request, with the dates and the outcome. Only the people dealing with it can see it. We keep it for 6 years after the matter closes, and then delete it.