grievance
resentful feeling about unfair treatment
A strong, unhappy feeling because you think you were treated in an unfair way.
[someone] has a grievance against [someone/something]
- She still carries a deep grievance against her former boss for the way she was dismissed.
- Old political grievances continue to shape relations between the two communities.
- Instead of nursing their grievances in silence, employees were encouraged to speak openly.
- Family gatherings often turned tense as relatives aired long-held grievances.
- The book explores the historical grievances that fueled the conflict.
- He has a grievance against his manager because he feels she was rude.
- The workers talked about their grievances during the meeting.
- She tried to forget her old grievances and start again.
- Many people in the town have grievances about the new law.
- They met to discuss and share their grievances.
formal or official complaint
A complaint that a person officially makes to an organization, especially about work or rights.
[someone] files a grievance about [something]
- The employee filed a formal grievance over unsafe working conditions.
- Under the new contract, staff can submit a grievance directly to human resources.
- The union is reviewing several grievances related to unpaid overtime.
- Any grievance must be put in writing within 30 days of the incident.
- The company updated its grievance procedure to make it easier for workers to report problems.
- She filed a grievance because she felt the promotion process was unfair.
- If you have a problem at work, you can make a formal grievance.
- The union helped him with his grievance against the company.
- There is a clear grievance procedure in the employee handbook.
- He decided not to lodge a grievance and tried to solve the issue directly.
- Base: grievance
- Plural: grievances
air your grievances
1openly express complaints or grievances
To talk openly about your complaints or things you think were unfair, usually in front of other people.
- The meeting gave staff a chance to air their grievances about pay and workload.
- Instead of complaining in private, they agreed to air their grievances at the next council session.
file a grievance
1submit a formal grievance
To officially send or give a complaint to an organization, usually in writing, so they must respond.
- Employees can file a grievance if they believe they have been treated unfairly.
- She decided to file a grievance with human resources about the manager's behavior.
grievance procedure
1official process for grievances
The official steps that an organization uses to receive and deal with formal complaints.
- The company’s grievance procedure is explained in the employee handbook.
- Unions often negotiate a clear grievance procedure in their contracts.
have a grievance against [someone]
1feel wronged by someone
To feel angry with someone because you believe that person treated you in an unfair way.
- Several students have a grievance against the professor over the way the exam was graded.
- He clearly has a grievance against his former partner and talks about it often.
nurse a grievance
1hold on to a grievance
To keep your angry feelings about something that was unfair, instead of letting them go.
- He has been nursing a grievance about that argument for years.
- If you keep nursing old grievances, it will be hard to move on.