AI-Drafted Grievances: A Growing Challenge for Employers
Spotting Employee’s AI generated Grievances
Since the rise of tools like ChatGPT, employers are increasingly encountering grievances that appear to have been drafted with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI). These can sometimes be recognised by their unusually formal tone, extensive detail, or references to legal concepts that may not perfectly reflect the situation. In some cases, employees may prefer corresponding in writing when using AI-generated support, rather than explaining their concerns verbally.
Investigation Challenges for Management / HR
Grievances often arise during sensitive employment processes, such as disciplinary procedures or redundancy consultations. During these moments, employees may feel uncertain or anxious about their circumstances and turn to AI tools for guidance, clarity, or reassurance.
However, AI tools can occasionally misinterpret the information inputted by employees or frame situations in a way that amplifies concerns such as discrimination, bullying, or harassment beyond what was intended. AI tools are designed to please and will tell users what they want to hear, which can cause employees to think they have stronger cases than they do and cause further employee-employer relationship breakdown
All grievance, however generated, must be taken seriously investigated thoroughly. The difficulty employers may face with AI-generated grievances is that they can be exaggerated, lengthy and not always easy to follow. The detailed or highly formal style generated by AI can sometimes make it harder to distinguish between the employee’s lived experience and additional information introduced by the technology. As a result, HR teams may find themselves needing to carefully work through the facts while managing the sensitivity of the process. This can make investigations more time-consuming and complex than they were previously.
When to Seek Legal Advice
While AI-generated grievances may appear more detailed or legally technical, it is important to cut through the waffle to see what the actual nature of the complaints are. One way to cut through it is to meet the employee in person and talk through the issues directly to understand the employee’s complaints and distil them into a manageable format before investigating the grievance further.
If you receive a complex grievance and the factual basis is unclear, it can be helpful to obtain legal advice.
If this sounds familiar, contact our expert employment law team here to gain specialist advise on the grievance, or to gain legal support on any other employment matter.
