What is an Appeal Chair?

An appeal chair is an independent person who reviews an employee’s appeal after a grievance or disciplinary decision has been made — including cases where dismissal is involved. Our job is to make sure the appeal is handled fairly, objectively and in line with employment law and follows ACAS principles. Unlike someone from inside your business who may already be involved, an independent appeal chair comes in with a fresh, unbiased perspective.

For your business, this means:

• The process is fair and transparent, so the employee can see that their concerns are taken seriously – and that you are compliant with ACAS
• Decisions are legally sound, reducing the risk of costly claims or disputes
• You can show you’re committed to professional standards without putting extra pressure on your own team

Put simply, an appeal chair is a neutral decision-maker who helps you handle difficult disciplinary appeals properly, protecting both your people and your business.

We offer consultative services as an independent appeal chair for Small to Medium Enterprise (SMEs), providing a fair, impartial and legally compliant review of grievance or disciplinary appeals up to and including cases of gross misconduct dismissal. We handle all types of cases from simple single issue ones to those more complex.

In addition, we can call upon experienced HR professionals to ensure compliance with ACAS.

By engaging an external chair, your business can demonstrate transparency, safeguard procedural fairness and reduce risk while ensuring employees feel their concerns are taken seriously.

Who am I?

With over 40 years of business experience, including more than 30 years in management across both SME and blue-chip corporate environments, I bring extensive expertise in handling disciplinary and grievance matters – and recent experience as an Independent Appeal Chair.

What Costs are Involved?

The cost of engaging an independent appeal chair will vary depending on the complexity of the case, the preparation required and the time needed for hearings and outcome letters. To keep things transparent, services are usually structured on fixed fee basis, subject to case complexity

Typical Costs

Service	Price Guide	Notes
Grievance or Dismissal Appeal (single issue)	From £1500	For straightforward cases
Grievance or Dismissal Appeal (multi-issue)	From £3500	For more complex cases

Travel expenses may apply for in-person hearings, depending on location

Appeal hearings can be heard in person, subject to your location or preferably held online via Microsoft Teams

We are happy to work together with you on your budget to ensure your needs are met irrespective of your business size.

We are happy to offer a 30 minute consultation with you – FREE OF CHARGE – to understand your requirements

Please complete the form below to contact me for further details.

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