The ACAS code for conducting disciplinary/grievance procedures is mainly a code that emphasises on disciplinary rules and procedures that are essential to be followed in ensuring fair and order treatment of individuals. The main purpose of such code is that there should be fair treatment to employees and they should be encouraged to take initiatives that are within the organisational code of discipline. The proper or effective operation of the entire organisation is the prime focus area of such code. Employees should be aware of with respect to the level of standards as expected by organisation from them. It is the management of the organisation that is responsible for formulating policies with respect to maintaining disciplines within organisation. As such, management should ensure the secure involvement at all the level while formulating new rules and policies.
The code includes the guidelines aimed at achieving higher level of discipline among employees. The designing the code is performed in a manner with a view to help employees, employers and their representatives in order to effectively deal with the disciplinary situations and grievance in the workplace. The disciplinary situations can mainly be described as misconduct and/or poor performance. As per this code, employers are given adequate authority to resolve any issues with employees within workplace. As for instance, if employers have better or separate capability procedure, they can apply such procedure in addressing the performance related issues. The major aim is to ensure the most effective that the employee concerns are effectively addressed and better work place performance is achieved. Grievances are mainly the concerns that are raised by employees with their employers at workplace with an expectation that the employer would most effective resolve the issues faced by them.
The code in relation to discipline and grievances at work is mainly designed with a view to achieve fairness and transparency and as a result, there are a list of policies and procedures as indicated within it. Such codes are dealt with achieving the higher level of discipline within organisation and the grievances if any are resolved in a most effective manner. However, the codes are meant to achieve fairness with respect to the employer-employee relationship and there are certain core principles of reasonable behaviour as asserted by them. As for instance, the code encourages the use of procedures that leads to the improvement of the situation rather than imposing any kinds of punishment. It is a kind of opportunity to the employees in getting their problems solved, as the grievance procedure are mainly aimed at ensuring that the employers take immediate action and reasonable care with a view to solve the problems as faced by employees. The code also does not permit the authority to employers in dismissing the employees from the organisation for any kinds of disciplinary offence. This implies that the policies and procedures as applicable within the code are aimed at applying co-operative behaviour on the part of both the employer as well as the employee so that better overall operation of the entire organisation can be ensured. Thus, it can be finally said that the ACAS code for discipline and/or grievance procedures are aimed at achieving higher level of discipline at workplace and it is an effective tool in the hands of employees in order to get their disputes resolved effectively through involving employer within the process.