Disciplinary and grievance cases

Request data on formal disciplinary and grievance proceedings by category and outcome.

Disciplinary and grievance data shows how workplace issues are being handled across a public body. High numbers may indicate management problems or a poor working culture.

Dear [AUTHORITY NAME], Please provide the following information for [FINANCIAL YEAR e.g. 2024-25]: 1. The total number of formal disciplinary cases initiated, broken down by category (e.g. conduct, performance, attendance). 2. The outcome of each disciplinary case (e.g. no action, written warning, final written warning, dismissal). 3. The total number of formal grievances raised by employees. 4. The number of grievances upheld, partially upheld, and not upheld. I would prefer to receive this as a spreadsheet or CSV if possible. Yours faithfully, [YOUR NAME]
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Who to send it to#

Any Scottish public authority: council, health board, or government agency. Find the right authority on the Commissioner’s directory of Scottish public authorities. You can also send your request through WhatDoTheyKnow, which publishes responses online.

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Tips#

  • You are asking for aggregate data, not details of individual cases. This makes it much harder for the authority to claim personal data exemptions.
  • If you want data for a specific department, name it in the request. Otherwise ask for a breakdown by department or service area.
  • A large number of grievances relative to staff numbers may indicate systemic problems. Compare against the total headcount for context.