Such issues should be raised through the Agency s Equal Opportunities Complaints or Grievance Procedures. At all times staff can seek the help and advice from the recognised trade unions or the registered charity Public Concern at Work. Line management are required to treat all such concerns seriously. If, for whatever reason, staff feel unable to raise their concerns with local line management then it can be raised with the Head of Personnel. The Head of Personnel will commission an investigation by the complaints investigator who is not an employee of the FSA but who is under contract to the FSA to investigate complaints of this nature.
Staff can however alternatively raise a concern directly with the complaints investigator.
The member of staff who has raised the concern will be provided with a written record setting out the concern, the action to be taken during the investigation and the timetable to be followed. The complaints investigator will also make periodic reports to the Board on the number of concerns raised and the outcome of any investigations. If a particularly serious case arises the Chairman might decide to inform the Board at the outset of the investigation. If these channels have been followed and the concern still exists, or it is felt that the matter is so serious that it cannot be discussed with any of the above, then the member of staff can raise the concern with the Civil Service Commissioners. Management commitment FSA management will treat all issues raised under this procedure seriously and will not victimise in any way members of staff who avail themselves of it.