It's a fact of life that most of us will have issues with work colleagues or line managers at some point in our careers. These issues can range from petty arguments that are quickly forgotten to serious, on-going disputes or personality clashes that can make your workplace a pretty stressful and unpleasant place to be. You may be vaguely aware of what action to take if you want to complain to management or HR about the behaviour of someone you work with. Where many people find themselves out of their depth and liable to panic is when a colleague raises a grievance against them. However, unless you've been very seriously at fault, there's no need to panic. It's quite possible that your colleague has raised a formal grievance against you over something relatively minor. Once you've explained your side of the story, it may turn out to be just an unfortunate misunderstanding, or a minor matter that can be resolved with an apology. On the other hand, it could turn out to be the start of a serious and lengthy grievance process. In either case, it's important for you – and your employer – to remember that your employer has a duty to listen impartially to both parties when a formal grievance arises. Your word and your opinions count for just as much as the other party, even if they're senior to you. It's equally important that your employer follows a fair process, which is in line with the ACAS Code of Practice on Disciplinary and Grievance Procedure. If this is followed, and you in turn follow our practical guidance for grievance procedures, the matter may ultimately be resolved without affecting your role in the long term.