It hasn’t taken long for AI to have a major impact in the workplace. And increasingly, its presence is being felt in many aspects of HR. One area is in relation to how employees are communicating their concerns like grievances and appeals. And it’s making life very challenging for businesses as a result.
What’s happening?
Some employees have always felt confident seeking advice then drafting up written communications to raise issues like grievances.
But many don’t know where to start. Some might find it difficult organising their thoughts and expressing themselves clearly. Some might not speak or read English well. It’s not surprising that increasingly, they’re turning to AI, both to seek its ‘advice’ and then to get it to put together the communication in which they set out their case.
But turning to AI to get its ‘opinion’ can be fraught with issues when it comes to HR matters. Not least because AI cannot be relied on to always provide accurate information. It does have many positives. But it also gets a lot of things badly wrong. Its output can end up incorrectly reinforcing an employee’s thinking that they have a case to raise. AI generated inaccurate legal information might encourage them to decide they should put in a grievance without fully understanding whether they do actually have a genuine case.
Convinced they should go ahead, increasing numbers of employees are then using AI once again. This time, it’s to produce what can be very detailed and complex grievances (or appeals or in fact any kind of correspondence needed from an employee as part of an HR process).
What are the consequences for employers?
As a result, more businesses are at risk of having to handle increasing numbers of grievances. These grievances are likely to be longer and more detailed than they would have been pre-AI. And potentially, they could have a lot of inaccuracies in them.
If this starts to affect your workplace, it could take up a lot of time trying to deal with all the points raised in these long and possibly misleading claims. There’s another concern to be aware of too, about the details that employees are putting into AI to ask questions and create their grievances. They could be sharing sensitive information about your business with a public AI tool with no understanding of how that information will be stored or used.
ACAS figures from its recently released annual report highlight an increase in the number of individual disputes. And don’t forget the impact of the Employment Rights Bill and arrival of more day one rights which is just around the corner too. It’s expected to lead to more claims going forward. This could all result in businesses becoming overwhelmed by the time needed to handle grievances.
Is there anything you can do to try and manage this situation?
First of all, be aware that it doesn’t matter whether a grievance has been written by AI or not. You will still need to deal with it appropriately. That means it needs to be properly investigated where applicable and a hearing will have to take place. This will be vital for clarifying the exact details of the grievance and identifying any aspects that aren’t factually accurate.
Create and update policies
Consider whether you need a separate policy on the use of AI in the workplace. Even if you decide you don’t need one, make sure that in the appropriate existing policies, you’re highlighting the requirement for employees to not enter any confidential or sensitive information into AI tools. And make clear the potential disciplinary outcomes if they do. It might also be worth emphasising that employees are expected to only raise grievances in good faith.
If you’re considering using AI detectors to identify whether any grievances or other communications are AI generated, highlight that in your AI/ other applicable policies too. Be mindful that whilst some claim to be 100% accurate they are currently not and risk ‘false positives’.
Provide managers with grievance training that reflects the impact of AI
It’s likely that most managers will be unsure how to deal with grievances that are written by AI. It’s important they understand they shouldn’t be intimidated by wording that may have been generated or polished by an AI tool. Carry out refresher training to remind managers what they need to do to comply with grievance procedures. Focus on how to identify the key points in AI-generated grievances to pinpoint the real issues rather than being distracted by complex terminology. Highlight the need to document the process carefully too.
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