It is therefore a good time to remind members of the appeals process that was agreed as part of the implementation of performance pay for levels 6-8. 

Prospect recognises that performance reviews may not be conducted as we would like in all cases. It is therefore important to have an appeal process to address any fundamental disagreements. 

The first appeal stage is to your reviewer’s manager and must be submitted on the form, which is available on National Grid’s internet, no later than Friday 27 May 2016. 

You will need to provide evidence of performance success to support your appeal.  The only possible ground for appeal is a disagreement regarding performance rating that you have been given. 

First stage appeals should be resolved by Friday 10 June 2016. 

If the disagreement cannot be resolved with your reviewer’s manager, the second stage of the appeal process is to a joint review panel of the National Grid Staff Forum, comprising two managers and two trade union representatives. 

The deadline for stage 2 appeals is Tuesday 14 June 2016 and again a form to submit your appeal is on the company intranet.  The panel will make a recommendation to your second line manager who will make the final decision.

Prospect’s most recent survey of members suggested that there remains some scepticism around the performance review process.

The Branch Executive Committee therefore recommends that if you are unhappy with your performance rating and you have strong evidence to support your case, you should consider submitting an appeal. 

In 2015, success at both stage and stage 2 was around 40%. Our representatives who were involved in the stage 2 panel reported that it was a fair and consistent process.

Remember that objectives should be SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time bound). So please think about those principles in relation to your own review. 

You should also ensure that your performance is measured against circumstances within your control and that evidence is provided to support your arguments.

If your manager has not scheduled a review meeting with you for any reason, we would strongly advise that you raise it with them in the first instance.

It is important that you are provided with an opportunity to discuss your performance rating and raise any issues you may have.

If you need further advice about the performance review process or submitting an appeal, please discuss this with your local Prospect representative in the first instance.

Philippa Childs

National Secretary