Asking for help isn't always easy. We know that, so we have tried to keep things simple and make it easy to say you need help and/or raise the alarm when needed. Sometimes being a snitch is a good thing, especially when it stops something serious from happening.
Help, I have a problem
Grievance
Whistleblowing
Sometimes shit happens. Someone or something has upset you; it happens and it should be dealt with. If you believe you need help, first speak to your manager or your boss's boss so they can look into what happened or is happening. This is your first port of call and can usually resolve the situation quickly. This is known as an informal approach.
This is a formal way of raising a concern and saying you need help. You may hear someone ask you to "put it in writing"; this is the formal way of raising a grievance. It can be an email to your GM, your Area Manager or someone more senior, by sending it to clint@wonderkidhospitality.com with "Grievance" in the subject. Here are the steps we will take:
Confirm we got your concern
Potentially invite you to a meeting (not always, though)
Fully and thoroughly investigate your concerns
Let you know our decision
Take any required actions, promptly
If you disagree with our decision, you can appeal, meaning you want someone else (more senior, if possible) to review it. You will need to put your reasons for appealing in writing, and we may ask to meet with you, though not always; it depends on the situation.
This is the serious stuff. In legal terms, you are a whistleblower if you are a worker and you report certain types of wrongdoing. This will usually be something you've seen at work, though not always. The wrongdoing you disclose must be in the public interest, meaning it must affect others, for example the general public. Some examples that would be in the public interest:
Reporting a criminal offence
Someone's health and safety is at risk
There is a risk of damage to the environment
Blowing the whistle and raising your concerns will not have any consequences for your job or your standing at Wonderkid Pubs. Because of the serious nature of these concerns, you can speak to anyone you feel comfortable with, including the Founders, Clint and Jamie, and/or ask for an independent adviser outside the company to discuss whistleblowing concerns with. The steps taken will be the same as for a grievance, although we ask that you keep these concerns confidential.